Burdens
by Zhe-Ubermensch
Summary: Ganondorf immediately answers the call of action once the possibility of a Tetraforce is revealed to hold the key to immortality. It's no difficulty capturing the bearer of the sacred relic, but he must have Courage AND Wisdom for it to take affect. In the time it takes him to claim them, his morals and beliefs are shaken by the prisoner, and both of their burdens are made clear.
1. Tetraforce

_Note: Although Ganon is typically his name used only in beast form, in this story, it is also the short version of Ganondorf's name, Like how Daniella would be Dani, or Mitchell would be Mitch._

* * *

The "hall" of his "palace" was in shambles. The once moderately pretty stained glass windows were shattered on the floor, beyond repair, shining shards of broken, painted stories of his people. Moss stained the portraits and the walls and the ragged red carpet. Birds whistled in the rafters, along with the cold wind that seeped in and made the air stale and bitter with the stench of pores and shrubs.

He treaded lightly, boots crunching softly in the glass, as he made his way to his throne. It was relatively untouched, although a littled dimmed where the colors should have been rather vivid. A gloved hand traced the right armrest, and the Triforce on his right glowed with curiosity.

Ganondorf grinned at the symbol of power, the last claim to importance in life that he had. He held it up to his face, but it was fleeting, and vanished, along with his smirk. It was replaced with a frown that had creased his face ever since. Ever since. Since that _boy…_

The thought was swallowed instantly, along with an angry, defeated roar that rumbled in his throat. This place was sacred to him. He couldn't let his emotions taint this place.

His eyes trailed to the abandoned, forlorn church organ in the corner of the room, next to his throne. Coated in dust, it only took one good huff through the lips to create a vortex of particles that dispersed when he stepped through them.

The seat didn't look terrible. It should support his weight. Ganondorf pushed his hand on the old wood, and when it didn't creak or snap, he eased himself onto it. There was one ominous snap, but that was all, and it held.

The keys hadn't fared for the better, unfortunately. Some were rotted all the way to the base, some had mysterious holes in them, some were just dirty. It was obviously beyond repair, but the actual sound had been made to last through all sorts of drama. Ganon plucked the F key, and an echoed, lost, but perfect F played. His hand ghosted the keys lovingly, sadly.

"It seems time has not been well to either of us," he mused aloud to the organ. "But it is what's _inside _that matters, after all this time."

Realization dawned on him, and he slammed down on the keys furiously.

"It's what's _**inside **_that matters. That's why they _hate _us, _**fear **_us! Ach, what I wouldn't give to be king of those pitiful Hyrulian lands for a day!"

He spilled his emotions into that old, rotting instrument for _hours _and _**hours**_, until his fingers were numb and his arms sore, and the sun had long set and begun to rise again. He pounded the keys bitterly, tenderly, until, at last, the old instrument fell apart, cracking down the middle right in front of him. He gritted his teeth together, and unleashed a howl not of anger, but of bitterness and melancholy.

Ganon whirled around, cape flaring behind him, as he hissed, "I will have my revenge. Even if I cannot have Hyrule, I can at least be gifted with _that_."

The throne fit him as it always did, but still did nothing to appease his emotions. The minions of his that entered shortly after did not help, either. He did not shout at them, however, because those stupid grunts were so easily frightened, and they seemed to be carrying some sort of artifact. Incredibly ancient, by the looks of it. He did not want them to drop it and shatter it in their fright.

"This better be good," he drawled out painfully. "My head aches, and I will retire to bed soon."

"Sire, this is a discovery of epic proportions!" the largest of the three stated. "I assure you this will be no waste of your valuable time whatsoever! Present the artifact!"

The two carrying the ancient item lifted it, with great difficulty, so that its face was facing the Demon king. It appeared to be a massive shield, made of pure steel. There was no color, save for few places where there were hints of its previous life of red, blue and yellow. Of course, at the center of the shield, was the Triforce in its entirety, with all three pieces.

But what was odd about it was the center of the holy symbol. In the middle of the three triangles, it was quite obvious that the hole at the center had been filled with red paint, in contrast to the blue of the rest of the shield and the yellow of the other Triforce pieces. No other shield in known Hyrule existence had had the center of the Triforce filled to symbolize a _fourth _Triforce piece.

Ganondorf pondered this, then blandly stated, "The shield is old, I will grant you that obvious fact. But it is massive. Even I would have difficulty in raising it. How do we know that this wasn't just some child's meddling in the old times with what was once part of a statue?"

"There is more evidence that proves the existence of a fourth piece, your Majesty," the grunt replied eagerly. "Unfortunately, the engravings were too large to transport out of the ancient temple in which we found them, but I had our best artist copy what we saw for you to see."

Cautiously, the small green monster approached his master, procuring a scroll from his belt, then bowing to both knees. Ganon snatched the scroll and unrolled it hastily. Depicted in the crude, but legible drawing were the three goddesses, Din, Farore, and Nayru, each crafting their respective Triforce pieces. Din, the one who favored Ganon, was forging her piece from the fires of the earth and the rarest, strongest metals known to man. Farore, the goddess of Courage, and the one who favored the _boy_, gave hers only the spark of life, and a touch of fear, because there is no courage without fear.

Pitiful, Ganon thought quietly.

The third goddess, Nayru, and the one who favored the princess, Zelda, infused in her piece the words of the ancients themselves, filled it to the brim with useful tactics and ways to survive. That was a useful piece of the Triforce.

Then, in the next drawn panel, there was a lone entity. Another woman, or, presumably, goddess, holding a small triangle of her own. It was upside down, and glowing so faintly, the art could not depict it well. In the panel after that, the other goddesses seemed angry, if not frightened, by the presence of the fourth woman, who only smiled back at them innocently. It was in this panel that Ganon could see that the fourth one shared physical qualities with the main three, as if related by blood.

Next, Din, or so it appeared to be, was smashing the fourth Triforce piece. Or, rather, she was trying to. No matter how hard she tried, the little upside down triangle would not crack or crumble. The fourth woman still smiled, ever so patient. Ganon was finding that he didn't like the nerve of the fourth woman.

In the next panel, it was difficult to tell, but it seemed that the women had come to a compromise over something. The fourth Triforce piece was being made invisible, and the majority of its powers equally distributed to the other three pieces. The little power that was left in that one piece was hidden in the center of the visible Triforce. All the women seemed content with this.

The final panel depicted the three holders of the Triforce: One of strength, which was a large man, who had no specific details, one of courage, who was small, but nimble, and again had no features, and one of of knowledge or wisdom, who was a woman, no apparent features.

And, at the end of the line of Triforce bearers, there was only a silhouette. The Triforce piece was missing from the panel, but had obviously been upside down, and linked to this person. There was only one word throughout the whole story that Ganon could understand, as the language was as ancient as the carvings themselves.

That word was "love".

Although both the shield and the carvings shared this mysterious "Tetraforce", there was no apparent link between them. He was about to dismiss the whole thing and have these insolent creatures executed, but another scroll was wordlessly handed to him. He almost tore this one yanking it away from the little goblin.

This scroll was in a language he could understand, and soon realized that even so, this one was only a few hundred years younger than the carvings depicted on the other scroll. It must have been some sort of translation; the words were choppy, and didn't quite make sense together in some places, but he was smart enough to piece it together. Vaguely, he gathered that this "Tetraforce" was, indeed, real. However, the fourth, center piece could only be attained after one was in the possession of the other three known pieces. The reason behind this was that, when all four pieces came together under one being, their power was so immense, their bearer was essentially made _immortal_.

This, of course, piqued Ganondorf's interest. Yes, he was strong, and very difficult to kill, but _immortal _was a whole other level of power that he did not have. And if he was _immortal, _the world would have no choice but to bow to him.

But where could he find this fourth piece?

The other scroll his minions had produced seemed to tell that there was, indeed, a fourth bearer of the Triforce, and this person would undoubtedly hold the fourth piece, "love".

"Where were these carvings found?" he asked.

The minions squirmed worriedly, afraid that their master did not believe them and was preparing to kill them. "It may be difficult to believe, your Majesty, and you may be angered by this news. These carvings were found here, sire. They are here, under the palace, in a catacomb we were unaware of for many centuries."

This earth-shattering secret had been under his feet this whole time?! Ganon could scarcely believe it, but nevertheless, he rose to his feet, and his minions trembled. At this, he smirked.

"No need to fear for your lives yet," he consoled them, "though you are right to fear me. Take me to these catacombs. I will decide for myself whether you are being truthful or not."

The three nodded hastily, carefully setting the steel shield they'd been holding the entire time down, and lead the way for the tall, brutal beast of a Gerudo.

* * *

For once, the drawings of his finest artist had done the ancient relics well. There was no doubt that what he had seen on the scroll was what he was witnessing before his very eyes. There was no doubt that there was, indeed, a fourth piece to the Triforce, whose knowledge had been lost to the songs of time. And there was no doubt that someone in Hyrule was carrying this fourth Triforce piece, whether willingly or unknowingly.

So, when he returned to his throne room, after ordering the carvings destroyed so that no other living being could know of them, he began to plot how he would gain the Triforces of Courage and Wisdom before scrambling for the Triforce of Love, before the other pieces could be taken back from him. It would be incredibly difficult. The princess of Hyrule was well guarded after the incident with the Twilight realm, and the boy had vanished after defeating Ganondorf. One would think that the Hero of Time would want more appreciation for his actions, but no, he vanishes into thin air. And even if Ganon were to find him, the little rat could put up quite a fight.

And if somehow- _somehow_\- he managed to get the two other pieces from them, he would only have a short amount of time to find the fourth bearer. Everyone would be after him, undoubtedly, seeking their relics of power once again.

The task was certainly daunting, to say the least. It was certainly possible to get the two other pieces, but what about the third? What would he be up against? Certainly, nothing as strong as he, nothing as wise as Zelda, and nothing as brave as the boy. But still, Ganon was faced with a predicament.

Then, he reversed the order, and inspiration struck. It was simple. He would capture the fourth bearer _first, _to hold on to until he received the two other pieces. Then, once the Triforce of Love was unlocked, he would already have possession of the bearer, and, therefore, immortality. He could take his time with the other pieces. He had time. There was no schedule with this plan, so there was no rush.

It was perfect. The Demon king laughed maniacally, ecstatic that a plan was coming together, excited that he would once again have the opportunity to wield a sword and slice through his enemies one by one.

"Darrus!" he barked. The cleanest, strongest and tallest of his minions stumbled into the throne room, and bowed. "Prepare a horse and shine my armor. Tomorrow, I will return to Hyrule and search for this fourth bearer of the Triforce. Unlimited power is within my reach, and soon after that, Hyrule. Then…"

He chuckled darkly, allowing dark magic to play at his fingertips, his golden eyes gleaming in the low light.

"... the _world_."

* * *

"Link!" Ilia called. Link hadn't emerged from his tree home all day, and it was approaching noon. However, the days had evolved into this, so she wasn't surprised. Ever since he came back from that dangerous journey, he'd been sleeping in and complaining about nightmares. It was a bit concerning.

"Link!" she tried again. "Please, it's important!"

But he did not heed her calls. He was in the middle of one of his horrific dreams.

In his dream, she was tied. Her hands were bound in front of her, her legs chained so that she could walk, but not run, and her captor was the most evil being alive. She possessed a section of the Triforce, and while there wasn't anything unordinary about that (other than he and Zelda were the only ones left alive who bore the symbol), it was that rather than one of the three sections glowing to signify her relic, the center of the symbol was alight instead. It was a bright red, not dark enough to resemble blood, but still seemed unearthly and somehow, a little bit wrong. But she showed no fear. She only continued to walk with her head held high, a slight smile playing at her lips. The smile was the only part he could definitely see of her. Whoever she was, Link knew she was important.

And Ganon was going to capture her.

He'd been having this same dream for the past few months, but it still scared him to a certain degree every time. Why did she possess a section of the Triforce that simply didn't exist? What did Ganon want with her? Why was she so willingly being lead to certain doom?

He awoke with a start as Ilia let herself in. Link panicked, not wearing a shirt, and tumbled out of bed with only the covers to hide his torso from her sight. His childhood friend laughed at the sight and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"You don't have to be afraid of me, silly!" she exclaimed. "My father wants to see you, if you're up for it. He wouldn't be specific with me, though, so I can't give you details I'm afraid."

Link scrambled to his feet, smiling. _I know, I know, _he seemed to say as he pushed gently past her. He snatched his shirt from a chair and slipped it on as Ilia began to tell Link of Epona's current (perfectly healthy and happy) condition. The one sided conversation continued all the way to the mayor's house before the village children pulled her away to join them in the creek.

Link inhaled the fresh air of Ordon village lovingly. It was so quiet and peaceful in comparison to hectic Hyrule. Not for a second did his miss those days of riding back and forth on Epona with Midna hiding in his shadow as they sought to save Hyrule and the Twilight realm from a horrible, twisted fate.

But he _did _miss Midna.

He sighed at the memory of the Twilight Princess who had loyally been at his side for so many days, when he was human and wolf. But it wasn't possible to see her again. The Mirror had been shattered into a million fragments. She was on her side, and he, on his.

"Link, my boy!" a low, jolly voice called from behind him. Link dispersed his thoughts and whirled around to face Ilia's father, Mayor Bo. He grinned as the man, who had been like a father figure to him as a child, wrapped his arm around his shoulders and chanted, "Come in, come in! Ilia's made a wonderful tea that you must try!"

When he was seated, Link took the offered beverage gratefully, and sipped quietly as the Mayor spoke. First, it was just idle chatter to break the ice, which was totally useless, considering Link was a mute. Thankfully, the man didn't embarrass himself for long.

"Now, I know that you've only _just _returned from Hyrule," the Mayor began, "But I was recently sent a letter from her Highness, Princess Zelda, requesting your presence at a festival held in your honor. For your efforts in restoring peace to our world."

At this, Link choked a bit. He didn't like much attention, and this was the opposite of remaining inconspicuous. The Mayor immediately appeased his fear by adding, "Now now, she knows you're a shy one, so she didn't tell her subjects that it was for _you. _She instead dedicated the festival for the 'brave, loyal soldiers' of the Royal Kingdom. You'll still be getting a place by her side, however. She insisted that you receive _some _sort of recognition."

Link was alright with this compromise, but could tell something else was up. The Mayor was fidgeting somewhat anxiously, so he gave the man a puzzled look to express his curiosity.

"Well, ah, yes, that's not all. Ah, she didn't include any details, but only wanted you to know that she's in need of some, ah, _undercover _work."

Link had a flashback to his dream, though it was not mentioned, and squirmed a bit uncomfortably.

"The festivities don't start for another three days. However, the princess has requested that you arrive early so that she can give you some briefing on what she expects of you."

Then, he sat back, and sighed.

"I haven't told Ilia. She'll be furious, but after that mess when all the children went missing, she wouldn't let you leave without her. She can't know, Link, or else she'll follow you like a moth to the flame."

Link understood what the Mayor was asking for him, and nodded with a small grunt to signify that he understood.

"Now, I trust the Princess with my life. She's a smart, intelligent woman. I don't question her motives for summoning you again, especially after you've become the Hero Ordon knows and loves. I would do your best to appease her Highness, and do as you are asked, as long as it is within reasonable boundaries."

Link had finished his tea, and was already making a mental list of items he would need to pack for the journey. It was about a day and a half to Hyrule on horseback…

"Well, that's all I needed to tell you," the Mayor finished. "The only reason you weren't given the letter personally is that she requested it was burnt after it was read. Strange request, but it had the insignia of the palace, so I don't question it. You may go if you want, Link, but remember that you are _always _welcome in my home."

The boy nodded gratefully, shook the man's hand, then left quietly.

Mayor Bo procured the _real _letter from his pocket, and sighed worriedly. He read it again to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him.

"_**Send the Hero of Ordon. No hesitation. Urgent. Important fugitive hiding among us, in need of escort. Do not trust the Royal Guard. Please pray for us. Please tell the Goddesses to smile upon us.**_

_**-Princess Zelda.**_"


	2. Failure

Zelda sat patiently at her temporary throne in the Treasury. The castle was still being rebuilt after it had collapsed from Midna's showdown with Ganondorf those few months ago, so it was the best they could do to keep the land running until they had a better base of operations.

The visions in her dreams had frightened her. In her dreams, she had begged to be taken instead of the other woman, but the Demon king was only focused on the black haired woman with the red-centered Triforce. He dragged her away as Zelda screamed and begged for her life for reasons she still did not understand even when awake.

It always happened at the eastern gate as well. To Hyrule Lake, and, ultimately, Gerudo Desert.

Every night, she woke in a cold sweat, and Impa would comfort her until she could stop shaking. The first few times, she dismissed it as coincidence. But as time drew on and the dream became more vivid, she knew that Nayru was trying to tell her something.

_Protect the girl._

Zelda was strong with her light magic, but she was nothing against Ganondorf and his dark magic. She needed the Hero. She needed Link to aid her in the escorting of this mysterious woman. This woman whom they had yet to find. This woman with the Tetraforce. The Tetraforce that was supposed to be speculation and myth, and nothing more.

Zelda was troubled. Then, she was startled from her thoughts by one of her guards entering.

"The boy you requested has arrived," he announced.

"Summon him in, quickly," she urged. "We haven't much time."

Link had once again donned his green tunic, and carried the Hylian shield on his back, along with a simple wooden sword, as the Master Sword was still sheathed deep in the Sacred Grove. He bowed humbly in front of the Princess, unsure of what else he could do.

"The notion is appreciated," Zelda dismissed him, "but unfortunately, we do not have time for formalities. Have you been having the dreams as well?"

Link stuttered, then nodded.

"It's crucial that we find this woman within the two days we have left," she hurriedly told him. "For one to hold that power is dangerous. If Ganondorf manages to get his hands on the girl, then we will not be far behind."

Puzzled, Link crooked his head, concerned.

Zelda understood that he was not aware of the myth of the Tetraforce, and explained it quickly. "There is not time for questions, but there is an ancient myth that there were _four_goddesses, and the fourth, whose name remains unknown, was the Goddess of Love. Love was deemed too powerful on its own, so some of its power was infused with the other three sections of the Triforce. The section of Love itself, or what was left of it, was hidden in the center. That Triforce can only be unlocked if one is in possession of all three Triforce pieces, _and _the bearer of the fourth piece. Anyone who has all four in their singular possession has the power of _gods_."

The gravity of the situation was suddenly made clear, and he gasped. Zelda nodded.

"We don't have much to go off of to find this fourth bearer," she continued as she ushered Link into the armory. "All I know is that she has black hair and pale hands, but that could be so many people. Ah, but just last night, I heard a voice echo through the halls. It was calling, '_eyes as black as night, moons so cloudy white._' So I beseech you, keep your eyes open for those dark eyes."

The armory doors swung open, and Link went inside to choose his armor and weapons.

"I will summon my five best soldiers to escort you through the town." Zelda sighed. "If anyone asks, it's just a patrol checking up on the citizens. For five hours you must do this. I am preparing a carnival to douse the suspicions arising over the sudden panic, and hopefully, that will bring more people to investigate."

There was a clatter from inside the room, but the Princess was too far in her preparations to take notice.

"And perhaps she is vain. Perhaps a beauty contest will bring her to light. Or perhaps she is a fighter. Maybe some jousting will spur her into the spotlight. Or maybe-"

Link placed a gloved hand on her shoulder, smiling sympathetically and consolingly. Instantly, Zelda was relaxed, and smiled tiredly back at him.

"My apologies. It's just that this is so important, Link. More than my own life."

Again, the mute boy nodded.

* * *

For two days until the festival was prepared, Link and five others roamed the city searching for the black haired woman with the Tetraforce. For two days, they picked out suspicious women from the crowd, quickly ruling them out after Link's inspection of them. For five hours, every day, they inspected every black haired woman until there were none left that they didn't recognize by the end of the day.

At the end of every day, Link would shake his head at Zelda, and she would frown. Still, she would congratulate him on a hard day's work, and then they would go to supper with the rest of the royal family.

Zelda fretted constantly, but Link kept her from completely losing her mind, along with help from Impa, and before they knew it, the starting cannon was fired, and the festival had begun. Children ran through the streets freely, waving wands, toy shields and toy swords at their whim. Adults chatted and laughed and drank. The rich smell of well cooked meat filled the town air, and merchants everywhere were advertising their gadgets and gizmos and games and prizes all up and down the streets. There were even some Gorons and Zoras who had come to partake of the celebration.

As much as she wanted to relax and enjoy the cheerful air along with her people, the Princess remained rigged and stoic, keeping an eye open for the one with the Tetraforce. Link remained by her side at this time, afraid that if he were elsewhere, should Ganondorf strike, he would be too late to save her. But he, as well, searched for the Tetraforce. Even when he was tempted by the games and food, he stayed glued next to Zelda.

At this, through his telescope, Ganon smirked. How charming.

He tossed the device to one of his grunts without looking, who only barely managed to catch it, and stroked his large black horse's mane.

"Back in Hyrule once again," he said. "Such a lovely change in comparison to the barren wasteland we call home."

The grunts behind him nodded. Wordlessly, of course. It was better to pretend to have not heard the Demon king rather than to respond when a response was not warranted.

And, with a simple nod of his head, his army surged forth towards Hyrule, clubs, swords, and bows and arrows raised. He merely followed at a brisk trot rather than a full gallop, not afraid of the pathetic Hylians inside. He even sang quietly to himself as he advanced.

"_Oh, what a fool are they who rely on the light of day_

_To find their way, into the fray,_

_Of war and death untold._

_For it is the night that guides the bright_

_Into the light of a winning fight,_

_And live to grow old."_

The guards at the tower walls saw the approaching danger, and prepared their own weapons to counter attack the army coming their way. Again, Ganon only smirked, and sang a little louder.

"_Oh, what treacherous fools I spy running, fighting for their lives._

_How dare they defy the lie;_

_They know they are not strong._

_For it is I that cannot lie;_

_I am the guy, to them I fly_

_To end their pitiful song."_

By now, he was crossing the drawbridge, as the one in charge of the gate had been slow on the trigger, and even as it was raising, Ganon marched onward. He drew his sword as ten soldiers darted towards him.

"_Aha! What pitiful souls I see who haven't the common sense to flee!_

_Foolishly, they come to me,_

_Prepare to face your doom!_

_For it is my blade, at the end of the day,_

_That will remain above the grave,_

_And glint in the light of the Moon!"_

By the time that final verse was completed, the ten soldiers who had defied him were sliding down the raised drawbridge, dead. Ganon spurred his horse to run, and into Hyrule he flew with lightning speed.

By the time Zelda was warned that the Demon king was approaching the gates, he was already within the city walls, and it was too late to save anyone who he deemed easy bait, in his way, or a threat. Guards lay slaughtered at the hooves of his steed, all the way until he approached the Princess herself. Link drew his sword, prepared to battle.

Ganon only smirked.

"You lack the Master Sword, boy. You think you are a match for me without it?"

Of course, Link could not reply. Still, he snarled forcefully at his foe, not backing up an inch. Zelda emerged from her guards surrounding her, frowning, obviously drained from many sleepless nights.

"Ah, and I assume you are going to try to negotiate with me?" Ganon questioned her.

Zelda nodded. "We will give you anything you want, so long as you hurt no more of my people. They have done nothing to deserve your wrath."

"Oh? And what if they have? What if, unknowingly, you are harboring someone- or something- that belongs to me?"

"We would want _nothing _to do with anything of yours, Gerudo," the Princess scoffed. "You surely jest, or lie."

Ganon snatched her up by the throat, and several civilians screamed. Link charged, but Ganon took him in his other hand, holding the two struggling Hylians apart.

"It is _you _who is lying to me, Princess!" he spat. "I can smell your fear. I _know _you lie. Now, I will ask you only once. _Where _is the Tetraforce?"

The crowd murmured as the guards trembled, too afraid to attack. Link beat helplessly at the Gerudo's hand, only barely retaining enough air to stay conscious. And Zelda choked when she was let go, crumpling to the cobblestone before regaining her wits. The people watching fled for their lives, locking themselves away in their homes or fleeing the city itself.

"I… don't know what you're talking about," she rasped fearfully. "There is no such thing as a Tetraforce-"

His steel-toed boot silenced her, kicking her in the chest, but not hard enough to break bones. The few brave guards left again charged for him, but one stern look and a mighty roar from the Demon king stilled them. Then, he threw Link down next to the Princess. His head bounced on the cobblestone road, and a gash on his head began to bleed. He was unconscious.

The poor boy had lost his touch. Perfect, Ganon thought to himself. Then, he thought, this is the only boy who can oppose me. I should kill him now.

Ganon unsheathed his sword. This time, Zelda screamed. She went to throw herself in front of Link, but her guards held her back. The metal glinted in the cloudy day as Ganon raised it above his head, and prepared to throw it down, right through Link's head.

Then, there was someone in front of Link, prepared to take the fatal blow for him, and Ganon had to stop himself quickly before he could hurt this new face.

There was a woman, with long, thick black hair, and scars above her eyebrows that he could tell were caused intentionally. They were symmetrical, and looked like fire, or razors. Her shirt was grey, with blue lining the neck of the shirt, and the border along her neck was golden. She wore a belt just below her ribs, a simple circle cut into four sections for the clip. Her brown skirt was uneven- longer on the right side- and draped in front and in back in two separate pieces was a long length of cloth, blue with golden borders. They were connected by two lengths of silken rope. Her boots were a dark brown, and the lacing an even darker brown.

Rather than the typical white sclera and blue, brown or green iris, her sclera was black as coal, and her iris, a cloudy, grey-white. She had no pupils.

Internally, Zelda screamed again. _Eyes as dark as white, moons so cloudy white._

The woman did not looked frightened at all. She looked determined to save this boy's life. This boy whom she didn't even know.

"Such foolish bravery," Ganon smirked. "Then I shall kill you both."

And he raised his sword again, and then a faint humming caught his attention. A familiar humming of immense power bestowed by the Goddesses themselves. He brought his right hand back down, and stared as the Triforce of Power glowed like a beacon. Link's left hand was glowing with the Triforce of Courage, and Zelda's right, the Triforce of Wisdom.

That wasn't what was unusual. It was the Tetraforce.

The woman who had thrown herself in front of Link. Her left hand. The Tetraforce. She had it. The red in the center of the Triforce was a stark contrast to the outlines of yellow that glowed alongside it. When she saw Ganon staring at it like a predator would his prey, she stuffed it behind her back, brow furrowed.

"There is nothing here for you," she whispered.

"I beg to differ," Ganondorf retorted. In a flash, he had the girl by her right hand, and was tying her up quickly. The black haired woman screamed, kicking against him as hard as she could, to no avail.

"Leave her alone!" Zelda cried. "Take me instead! You want the Triforce, do you not? Then why not start with me?"

"I have what I came for. Your words are useless to me now."

Zelda broke free of her guards, and darted towards him, but was backhanded away. Her left cheek was now a bright red, and she lay dazed in the street. Then, Ganon lifted his captive by her hands, and laughed in her face.

"And to whom do I owe this honor?" he stilted sarcastically.

She struggled with her hands above her head, crying and muttering, "No, no, no," over and over. He grinned at her pain and fear, slinging her over his shoulder and mounting his horse.

"Our work here is done!" Ganondorf yelled, so all of his minions could hear. "Return to the desert at once!"

And he kneed his horse, grinning widely from ear to ear, and ran right through the barricade of soldiers seeking to stop him. His grunts were not far behind, running, on their boars, into the setting skyline. The black eyed woman slung over his shoulder screamed and kicked, not wanting to submit so easily, but not having the strength to escape.

The Demon king's laugh echoed in Zelda's ears long into the night, long after he had left Hyrule, and long after she had drifted into a deprived sleep.

* * *

She was still struggling by the time they'd reached Ganon's palace, shoddy and worn. He dropped her off of his horse, and the steed was lead away to be rested and fed.

"Let me go! I have nothing you want!"

"You have the Tetraforce, woman," he replied starkly.

"You cannot get it from me! You would have to have the other two!"

"And I almost did," he pointed out. "I could only focus on so much at once. We are all protected by our Triforces. I will have to focus on subduing the Princess and the boy one at a time. Only then can I rip their powers away from them and gain the immortality which your Triforce piece holds."

The woman trembled in his grasp, feet ceasing to keep up with him, as he was strong enough to drag her effortlessly. "You're a monster."

He did not reply to her insult until she was locked away behind a prison of stone walls and a thick iron door.

"Not a monster. You are mistaken." he corrected her. "I am a _king_, and will soon be rightfully recognized as one, with your power and mine and the others. Your pathetic people will see what I _truly _am capable of."

And, with a flare of his cape, he turned on his heel and stomped away from the stone prison. The woman curled up in a corner and sobbed, fearing for her life and the fate of the world.


	3. Broken

Several hours after her capture, some grunts opened the door a crack, then tossed in some scraps from the massive feast they'd all had to celebrate the woman's capture. It startled her from her sleep, and she quickly snatched the morsels off of the ground.

"Eat up," they grunted after they'd re-bolted the door and left.

She was hungry, so she didn't hesitate in the slightest, and began wolfing down the bread and meat in earnest. But there was another plan in her mind besides subduing her hunger. She just had to finish eating to see if her plan was even possible…

Her teeth hit bone, and she smiled, grease shining her mouth. Once the bone was picked clean, she scraped the end against the stone, trying to sharpen it.

There was no lock on this side of the door, but those grunts would have to feed her again sooner or later, and when that happened, she would make her escape. Perhaps jab one in the hand, then force her way out and run. Or maybe stealth was the best way to go, jamming the bone into the door to keep it from locking, then slipping out when everyone was asleep, or gone, or busy elsewhere. Or she could pick at the ground and start a tunnel.

No, that last one wasn't feasible. The small bone would get her nowhere fast. But if all else failed, it was better than nothing.

No, stealth was the best way to go. She wasn't strong, and certainly didn't have much patience, so stealth was her best option. She would escape when they all were busy.

Still, she continued to sharpen the bone, in case she had to get her hands dirty.

* * *

"A glass of wine!" Ganon commanded from his spot at the head of the table. One of the many grunts who were waiting on him obeyed his desire, and brought him a simple goblet filled nearly to the brim. He sipped it eagerly, then rose to his feet and shouted, "Today, we have the Tetraforce within our reach! Soon enough, we will have the other pieces of the Triforce, and the day after that, the world will be _ours!_"

His servants and grunts cheered and hollered, enjoying the prospect of world domination over those Hylians that had banned them to the barren deserts. Ganon drank again, and laughed heartily. He then eyed the rest of his wine, which he decided he wasn't in the mood to finish, and poured the remainder into a wooden cup.

"Take it to the prisoner," he told one of the servants. "I want her alive and healthy for when the time comes to take her power."

"Of course, Lord Ganondorf," the creature echoed. He bowed, and excused himself.

In the meantime, Ganon and his minions continued to dine and celebrate their capture, but his heart wasn't fully in it. There had hardly been a challenge in the capture of the woman, as she threw herself in the face of danger willingly for the _boy_. She was willing to sacrifice herself for a complete _stranger, _though she _knew _she would be captured. And, certainly, she knew that he was after her power, so why just _give _herself to him?

It puzzled and concerned him, and she hadn't put up much a fight. With many questions circling his head, he rose from the table and left to check on her.

After Ganon found his way down the dank, twisting corridors of the prison, he found her door and peered inside. There was no light in there, and all sounds had ceased when he approached. Before, there was the sound of scraping, but now there was none. Ganon frowned, and banged on the door three times with his fist. Still, nothing. _Perhaps she's worn herself to exhaustion, _he reasoned with himself.

Still, cautiously, he opened the door a crack, and slipped inside, after removing a torch from the wall outside to light the room.

No, he'd been wrong. She was wide awake, and glaring at him with those black orbs. She was huddled in a corner, knees to her chest, and hands trapped between them. The woman said nothing, only stared with cold, calculating eyes. Ganon sneered at the feeble show of resistance to his power.

"You knew I was coming for you," he accused her. "Why did you remain in Hyrule when you _knew _I was coming for you?"

"I'm not selfish like _you_," she spat venomously. "It was either my life, or the life of hundreds of innocent Hylians."

"They will still perish once I have all of the Triforce."

"You'll never get them. All the strength in the world couldn't help you."

"Who says that strength is the main factor?" he questioned her. "Perhaps it is merely an aid in achieving my ultimate goal. Perhaps is is strategy and careful planning in which I will succeed."

"You couldn't possibly be wise enough to best the Princess."

"Where I lack in brain, I will arise with brawn."

"And what about the boy?" she asked, eyes narrowing. "He is good enough to defeat you. He has done it once, he can do it again."

Ganondorf began to growl low in his throat.

"The boy is a nuisance at best," he scoffed. "It is only because of your foolish, meaningless sacrifice that he has been allowed to live a few weeks longer. Once I have attained his Triforce from him, I will be certain to end his life quickly, but surely, painfully."

There was a pause, and the woman looked down, before starting back up, louder than before.

"You downplay his might." the woman sneered. "He _beat _you. You're too much of a coward to admit that there is a force greater in this world than you. You have the ego of an ill-willed _child_. You may be physically oh-so-mighty, but deep down in that dark core of yours, you are _weak._ You're a fool and a-!"

His hand was around her throat instantly, but before he could react, she jammed the bone deep into his forearm. Ganon only grunted with discomfort, dropping the woman, with the bone still lodged in his now bleeding flesh. She took advantage of his distraction and bolted out of the prison door.

"You **wench!**" he screamed with frustration. He tore the bone out of his arm, fresh blood dripping to the floor, then powered after her down the halls.

She shoved her way past his minions, who were returning to their quarters, who were then trampled by Ganon chasing after her, holding his wounded arm tightly. He was only barely faster than her, as her long, slender legs aided her in running fast, even on the slightly uneven cobble floor. She threw the door in front of her open, then slammed it closed behind her, never slowing her pace for more than a half of a second. The Demon king smashed through, not bothering with the lock.

"_**Get her!**_" he seethed to his minions. "Don't let her escape!"

She leapt onto the table and ran across the great expanse of stone, while grunts and goblins of all kinds surrounded her on the floor. She danced in place, unsure which way the exit was. She had to act fast: she was being surrounded, and quickly.

She pumped her legs off of the table and soared over the crowd, then threw open the nearest door and continued her escape attempt.

Ganondorf roared angrily, pointing in the direction she had gone.

"Sound the alarms! Block every entrance and exit to this place!"

"Yes, Lord Ganondorf!"

Everyone scattered in various directions, while Ganon himself continued to barrel after the bearer of the Tetraforce, and his key to immortality.

* * *

Escape had to be postponed. She had twisted her ankle in her jump from the table, and it was in excruciating agony. She hid in the small, abandoned wardrobe, trying to quiet her breath as much as was possible given her pounding heart and lack of fresh air.

She gulped a few times, then cracked open the door a sliver to search her surroundings. There was no one in sight. The corridor was quiet, and dark.

The woman slid down the side of the wardrobe with sweaty, trembling hands supporting her. Then, she examined the speckle of blood that had fallen on her hand from stabbing the Demon king, and groaned. What a poor, stupid decision, to fight against someone so much stronger directly. If he got his hands on her, the punishment would undoubtedly be fierce. He would not kill her; he still needed her power. But it was more than possible that she would be beaten into submission, within an inch of her life.

Footsteps. The sound of footsteps, coming closer. She held her breath, fearing for her life. They were too heavy and even to be another grunt, it had to be the hellraiser himself. Her lip trembled.

He walked just past the wardrobe, and stopped, sniffing the air.

_Please, _she prayed to her goddess. _Please, protect me from this monster._

There was a sound of a shrug, and then the footsteps proceeded into the distance, until they stopped altogether.

Again, she cracked open the door. Nothing. She opened it a little more. Still, nothing. She sighed with relief, thanking Ordae for her luck, and stepped out. Muffling her grunt of discomfort when she applied pressure to her twisted ankle (which she was sure was broken at this point), the dark eyed woman limped in the direction that Ganon had taken, certain that if he was still looking for her, he would trail outwards towards the exit.

She passed one door, then another, both open, but nothing inside. Then, she passed the third, and her breath was rebounding against her own mouth as a hand cupped her jaw tightly. She screamed as her hands were bound behind her back by one mighty paw, and a low, ear grating chuckle brushed past her ear.

"Going somewhere?" Ganondorf whispered menacingly.

"Nnnnggg!" the woman cried into his palm, trying to bite him, but not finding a good spot to latch her teeth on to. Ganon laughed again, pinning her back against him tighter as she struggled.

"Oh, you have no idea how I _ache _to wring your neck for you insolence. Tell me, my dear; am I 'weak' now?"

Both of her feet left the floor as she fought his grip, kicking into his shins and writhing against his waist, but so strong was his grasp on her, that she didn't budge an inch. The Demon king leaned against the wall nonchalantly, waiting for the woman to tire herself out, before he would sling her over his back and take her somewhere more secure. Somewhere where he'd be able to keep an eye on her. He'd have to take care of her health himself, since his minions obviously weren't capable, looking over the smallest details.

The woman was far from strong, and not fit, and she cried out each time her right ankle flicked in any direction. This, Ganon frowned at, seeing a broken bone trying to break through her skin. He released her, only to smack her across the face to shock her into submission. It worked, quite well. She curled up on the floor and sniveled, wincing as she dragged her broken ankle up to her torso.

"You've injured yourself, you fool," he chided, tutting and shaking his head.

"Better than to be in your clutches, vile Gerudo," the woman spat.

Ganon growled bitterly, then scooped her up in his arms, ignoring her protests and vile language towards him and weak pounding on his chest. For holding the Triforce of Love, she wasn't very loving.

When he came across one of his servants, he said, "The lockdown is over, no thanks to your help. Have everyone resume as they were."

"Yes, Lord Ganondorf," the servant bowed, trembling. He scampered away.

There was a chamber on the west side of the palace that was reserved for potion brewing, though none of them knew how, so it had been converted into an Infirmary. Once he was inside, Ganon locked the door behind him and dropped the woman on the wooden table. Of course, as soon as he let her go, she tried to run again, but he had the key. She wasn't going anywhere.

After lighting a few candles, the Gerudo rummaged through the cabinets for a while, before finding the gauze, and a few thick sticks to improvise a brace. He set the materials down, then snatched up the pacing woman, who whimpered when her ankle was jostled again.

"You have no one to blame for your current misery but yourself," Ganondorf grunted when she shot him a vicious glare. "You decided to rebel and attempt to flee into the desert- where you would not have survived, by the way- and your escape attempt brought about this physical pain. This is of your doing, not mine."

"You're still bleeding," she said, completely ignoring his comment.

He glanced at his right arm, and nodded. "I know."

She tried to kick him away once he grabbed her foot, but he stared up at her with a nasty glare.

"Should I break your entire leg, woman?"

"I have a name, you know," she spat back.

"Answer the question!"

They stared at each other for a few seconds, before she relaxed her leg and allowed him to do his work. Ganon relaxed, deftly setting the bone back in place, before propping it with the sticks, with gauze tied around each stick to hold them in place as he wrapped the fabric around. He was by no means a medic, but he could make do.

"Why take care of me first, though?" the woman asked. "You have the key, I'm locked in, you could have easily patched yourself up before me."

The truth was, Ganon hadn't thought of that, but he wasn't about to let her in on that fact. "I have the Triforce of Power. You have the Triforce of Love. Which do you think can withstand pain longer?"

"It might get infected."

"As if you cared. Besides, I have made it one of my primary duties to ensure your health is well before I take your power and kill you."

"Shouldn't you be above killing a woman?"

"Not one such as yourself," he replied snarkly.

She scoffed, offended, and turned her head away from him. "Well, if I'm going to die, I might as well grace you with my name in case you're kind enough to dig me a grave."

"Unlikely," the Gerudo king said coldly, not glancing up. "But it would be better than calling you 'woman' all the time."

He tightened the fabric around her foot, and she grimaced, biting her lip. Once the brace was secure, she sighed, and said, "My name is Rosalba. I was born in Ordon Village, but I did not remain. I left for family in Hyrule Kingdom, specifically, my uncle, who was a tax collector."

Ganon had left the table and was now tending to his own wound. He peered over his shoulder and said, "I asked for your name, not your life story. Be quiet."

A cold silence permeated the room afterwards, until Ganon had tended to himself, and found a crutch for Rosalba to use. She was about to snatch it from him, but he held it back.

"Only if you _behave_," he reprimanded her. "No more running- well, you won't be doing much of that…" He laughed, and she pouted. "... no more fighting back, and _certainly _no more sharp objects for you. Understood?"

Rosalba nodded, and he gave her the crutch. Immediately, she swung the tool around and clubbed Ganondorf in the head with it. It splintered into a few hundred pieces. He was unfazed; he hadn't even winced. He sighed, placing his hands on his hips, before throwing her over his shoulder again, and leaving the room.

"I knew you would do that," Ganon stated.


	4. Anger

"I will _not _sleep with you!" Rosalba nearly screamed when she discovered her new arrangements. She punched the now unarmored Ganondorf in the chest, only hurting her hand in the process. He had abs of _steel_.

The Demon king rolled his eyes, exasperated. "You should have thought of that before you decided to pierce my arm with bone, Rosalba. I obviously cannot trust my minions to look after you, so I must take it upon myself to keep you from causing trouble."

He threw her on his massive bed, tying her hands to the far right side of the bed frame, so that she could still lie comfortably. Once he was certain she was secure, he began to remove the ornate crown on his head, little by little. Long locks of fiery orange hair fell far past his shoulders, down to just above the middle of his back.

Once the crown was entirely removed, he heard sniffling coming from his bed. Again, he rolled his eyes.

"What now?" he barked impatiently. He whirled around to find Rosalba arching on her one good foot, trying desperately to wring her hands free of the ropes.

"I-I won't l-let you do th-this to m-me," she trembled. "I'm not for you t-to just _use_."

It took him only three quick, long strides to be to the bed, and she screamed, briefly, before he covered her mouth.

"I will do _whatever _I please with you, woman!" he snarled. "You _belong _to me now! You. _Are. __**Property**_."

He released her, bitterness accenting the action, before returning to his wardrobe to change his clothes. When he went to unbuckle his belt, she writhed again, more panicked than before. Before he could respond, she whimpered, "Don't you _dare _touch me, you vile animal!"

Ganon hesitated, a smirk playing at his lips. Oh, so _that's _what she was afraid of. Not death, not torture, but _that_. He laughed, which made her stop struggling. He continued to remove his pants, the entire back of his body now exposed to her, as he reached for his night clothes.

"Rape is far from my mind, Rosalba," he reassured her, still chuckling. "For one, your health is still of utmost importance to me, and secondly, you would probably _die _from the pleasure alone."

She laughed now too, horrified.

"_Pleasure?!_" she cried. "_PLEASURE!?_ Please, not only am I a virgin, but I'm certain you're large enough to tear me in half! So much for pleasure then!"

By now, Ganondorf was dressed, and making his way back to the bed, still grinning from ear to ear.

"If it were my intention," he said, "I would be certain you were well prepared for what I have to offer before I were to claim you. But that is not in my interest tonight, as I said before. Maybe _that _is how I'll end you when I have your Triforce piece. Perhaps I will _claim _you to death!"

And his laughter boomed through the small room as Rosalba recoiled in horror, curling up on herself as if that could save her from her impending fate. Shortly after, the Demon king was fast asleep, snoring almost inaudibly, while Rosalba stared blankly at his form across the bed.

* * *

The afternoon sunlight and the heat of the room was what woke her up. It was unbearably hot, but she could not wipe her brow because her hands were still tied above her head. Rosalba groaned, trying to find a dry spot on the sheets, but her sweat had stained the red blanket dark.

What made her most angry, was that Ganon was gone, He'd left her tied up, in a hot, humid bedroom, with nothing to eat, or no way to relieve her bladder. She started to thrash again, cursing him in loud, quick breaths.

"Stupid Gerudo!" she seethed. "Stupid, stupid, son of a-"

The quiet chirp from the window distracted her from her angry tirade. She froze, in awe, when she slowly craned her head to spy the small red bird in the window. She laughed incredulously, and a bit delirious.

"H-how did you…?" she asked the Canary quietly, still shocked.

The bird chirped again, and hopped onto her chest, then her head, then up to her arms, and began to peck at the ropes that bound her. Rosalba sighed.

"That will _never _work," she told the small creature. "You're not strong enough to unbind me, little Chien."

Still, the bird kept trying, flapping its wings with futile efforts and tugging at the ropes with its tiny talons. After maybe five minutes of that, there was the sound of approaching footsteps. "No…" Rosalba whispered. "Chien, you have to get out of here, now!"

The red Canary glanced down at its friend, confused. Louder, she hissed, "Fly, you fool!" The bird took the hint, and fluttered the window just before the door was opened. Of course, it was Ganon himself, carrying a plate piled high with fruits of all varieties. When he saw she was awake, he smirked.

"Back from the dead, are we?" he asked snidely. "It's almost noon, you know."

Rosalba ignored the comment, turning her head to the side, black eyes glinting in the sunlight. She was distracted, however, by the feeling of her wrists falling loose, and Ganon took the rope from the bed frame and tossed it away.

"I'm not going to feed you," he explained when she looked at him, puzzled. "You have hands. You can feed yourself. I am here. I can make sure you don't cause any trouble. So eat."

And he set the plate of fruit down on the bed, reclining on his side and popping a grape in his mouth, smiling. Hesitantly, Rosalba did the same, grabbing an apple and biting a chunk out of it, gazing warily at him the whole time.

"Where did you go?" she asked.

"Does it truly concern you?" he retorted. "I thought you wanted to be far, far away from me."

"Yes, but not tied to _your _bed, defenseless."

Ganondorf snickered, snatching a banana from the pile of fresh fruit.

Rosalba asked, "Where did you even get that food? We're in the middle of the desert; products like that would suffer, and yet they look like they're fresh off of the vine."

"Eventually," he said, "you'll find that I am a rather resourceful man. I have fresh dirt imported here by the cartloads. There is a greenhouse where we grow these crops, and only the best and ripest are sent to me. The rest, my loyal followers are allowed to take to their liking."

"'Loyal' followers?" Rosalba quirked an eyebrow at him. "Loyal is not the word I would use. I would say you've frightened and threatened them into submission, and the remainder of the fruit you give them are probably the shriveled pears and the bruised pomegranates, am I wrong?"

Ganon's grin fell, and he turned his head to fully acknowledge the Hylian next to him.

"You are not here to criticize my methods of ruling, Rosalba. Continue this behavior, and I will be certain to guarantee you never see the sunlight again for the short remainder of your life."

Rosalba frowned, folding her arms bitterly. Without a word, she rose from the bed and began to limp towards his personal bath house.

"I did not give you permission to move," Ganondorf growled.

"I'm hot and sweaty," she called over her shoulder. "My clothes need washing, my hair needs combing, and if this was an escape attempt, why would I go to the room with only one way in and out? That'd be incredibly, ridiculously foolish of me, and I'm not an idiot. If you _really _think it is necessary, you may babysit me in there as well, though I'm sure you'd rather finish your food."

And she rounded the corner into the room before the Gerudo could give her a proper reply.

He grunted with discontent, and rubbed his eyes tiredly. She was such a _shrew_, he had no idea how to tame her and make her understand that _he _was in charge and that _he _set the rules, not her. He debated the issue with himself quietly. He _could _just lock her away again, but then she would most likely try to escape again. However, even the _small _addition of not being in a cell seemed to subdue her a bit…

Ah, he smiled, so it was the illusion of freedom that she desired? Or maybe it would be an ultimatum that he would offer. "Don't run, or try to escape, and you may have free reign of my entire palace." Yes, that could work, but then there was the problem of making certain she would obey that order. There were any number of threats he could make to her to get her to stay, but what would terrify her into submission the most? The promise of rape was far, _far _below his standards. He would _never _use that as a weapon.

Then what _was _there?

His thoughts drifted back to the first time he had seen Rosalba, her form crouched over the boy, willing to sacrifice herself so that he may live-

He shot up. The innocent. The sacrifice of the innocent, those who had done nothing to deserve such carnage, would surely be enough to scare her into behaving. Ganon laughed quietly, smiling evilly as he thought of how to break the news to the bearer of the Triforce of Love.

He made his decision quickly; he would tell her as casually as if he was telling her that sand was yellow. And, if she did not believe him, he would simply restate the fact in a more serious tone. Surely, she wasn't so vain and stupid enough to not take him seriously on a threat such as that. Even she claimed herself that she was no fool, so why would she start now if lives were at stake?

Ganondorf plucked the last grape from its stem and plopped it into his waiting mouth, before standing. So that was it then. Threaten the Hylians, and Rosalba would behave. It seemed foolproof enough, he didn't see what could possibly go wrong.

So, he wandered into the bath house, ignoring Rosalba, who sank to her neck to cover her upper half. He splashed his face with the fresh, clean water, then glanced over at Rosalba and smirked, who in turn, scowled.

"You're going to ruin your brace for your ankle," the Demon king commented.

"I took it off. It's over there with my clothes."

"You'll never get better if you take it on and off."

"I'd rather be wounded longer than stomp around with a soggy, heavy cast," she said back, beginning to scrub her hair. "And if I'm going to die anyways, why should it matter? It's like recovering from a cold only to catch Pneumonia afterwards. Might as well keep the cold to add on to the Pneumonia. No reason to get well to get worse."

Ganon had no comment. He simply shrugged, and poked at the water mindlessly.

"I was thinking of ways to convince you to stay here in the palace and not be a naughty little girl," he began. At this, Rosalba shrugged, and began to wade away. "You claim you are no fool, but foolish are they who are too vain and arrogant for their own freedom that they endanger the lives of others."

This made her pause. She looked back over her shoulder.

"I don't follow you. Are you making a _threat_ to me?"

Ganondorf chuckled lowly. "Allow me to make this perfectly clear. You run, I bring you back. We've established this already, have we not? Well, the stakes have been raised. For every time I have to bring your pitiful hide back to this place, I will kidnap a Hylian. And that Hylian… well, keep in mind, my dear, that they most certainly will not survive a day. You will bear witness to this personally."

Rosalba whirled around, eyes darker than night, brows furrowed with concern and disbelief.

"You wouldn't," she said.

"Perhaps. But perhaps I crave your power more than you imagine, and will stop at nothing to keep you captive until I have obtained the other two pieces."

"Heartless beast," she sneered. "Taking another's life for my rebellion is-"

"How else would I convince you to obey me?!" he exclaimed. "Listen to me, and listen to me well, because I will not repeat myself again! For every escape attempt you make, I will murder a Hylian in cold blood before your very eyes! Do you truly want that guilt riding on your shoulders, woman?"

His rising voice echoed in the stone room, and he glared expectantly at Rosalba when the noise quieted. Her lip quivered with rage.

"They'll all die anyways," she stated coldly. "But if I can allow them perhaps a month or so more of peace before you _slaughter _them all, then I will remain."

Ganon grinned. "See, that wasn't so painful, now, was it?" he asked.

Rosalba glanced away, and muttered, "The world hates you. You know that, right?"

"Yes. Their anger is what powers me. Their fear is what feeds me, and their hopelessness soothes me. I _thrive _on the world's hatred of me."

Ganon grinned her way, but her vicious glare quieted him. She wrung out her hair, then clambered out quickly to cover her naked form with a towel.

"There are some forces more powerful than darkness, Ganondorf. Forces you could not even begin to comprehend."

"Try me, Hylian."

"That's not worth the short time I have left."

And she stalked bitterly out of the room, shaking her head and muttering to herself the whole way. Ganon growled after her.


	5. Strategy

A week later, Ganon had finally found a plan to take the Triforce of Courage from the boy. He figured that it would be wisest to eliminate the strongest threats first, then take the final piece from the Princess herself. He summoned his strongest men forth, then explained the plan.

"I have had one of my scouts remain in Hyrule to follow the boy back to his home village, and I'm happy to tell you all that we have found it. It's a little ways out of Hyrule, and a long ways from here, but he will be defenseless there. The fool will never suspect an attack on his native soil. If he refuses still, I am certain there is something of value there that we can bribe him to submit the Triforce of Courage to save."

He rolled out a map of the landscape, then took a feather, and blood red ink to write with on the map. He circled a section on the paper, and said, "This is where he lives. I've been told it is merely a small tree. If we cannot draw him out, or if he does not submit at first, you have my permission to set fire to it, even if I am inside. A few embers won't hurt me."

He drew a line from the tree into two different arrows, one leading south, the other, north.

"Once he escapes the tree- _if _he escapes the tree- there are two potential routes that he may chose the flee to. North is towards the natural spring found there. You _cannot _allow him to escape to the spring, as the powers of the sprites there will heal him. We must draw his flight towards the village itself, even if it costs a few lives. There is no escape there, save for the way he ran in. That's where we will be, pushing him in farther to the village."

Ganondorf circled the large area that was Ordon Village itself.

"If he is not as selfish as he seems," Ganon stated, "he'll stop resisting us here. Should he still refuse, we will threaten the villagers themselves, killing them one by one until we find one that will make him break. Should nothing at that point faze him, then we will take it by physical force, and kill him."

He jammed a knife, seemingly procured from nowhere, into the center of the map, startling the grunts from their concentration.

"Any questions?"

There were small mutterings within the gathering, but nothing asked aloud, or seriously. The Gerudo nodded, content.

"We leave at dawn, when the temperature is decent and won't fry or freeze us. Do what you must to prepare. Dismissed."

The grunts dissipated slowly, but surely, until all that was left was Ganon himself, and Rosalba, who had let herself in. It took him a second to notice her, and when he did, he narrowed his eyes angrily.

"I told you to stay out," he hissed at her. She, in reply, rolled her eyes.

"The deal was that I could go anywhere within the palace so long as I didn't try to escape. Besides, I was curious as to how you planned on taking down the boy. I wanted to hear the plan and give my opinion."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "And?"

Rosalba shrugged. "It might work. It's certainly a good plan, but remember that he, too, has a goddess behind his back. She'll defend him. I've also heard that he can wield the Master Sword, correct?"

"Correct."

"Well, what if he's drawn it again in light of recent events?" she asked. The question threw Ganon off guard. "You kidnapped someone the Princess specifically told him to protect with his life- above even her own- and now the entire world is in jeopardy. Wouldn't that warrant as a Master Sword emergency?"

The Demon king searched for words to argue, but found none. While she had a valid point, he couldn't help but feel angry that she'd thought his own plan through better than he himself had.

"And why would you tell me this?" he questioned her warily. "I would think that you would want to refrain from giving me any advice. Do you question my reform on the matter?"

"You have the will, I will grant you that," Rosalba admitted, "but I've said it before, and I will say it again. The boy has bested you once, who's to say he won't again? Perhaps you'll die there, and never return, and I can leave in peace and live the rest of my lonely days in harmony."

"Lonely?"

"I briefly mentioned an uncle when I first told you my name," Rosalba said. "He passed away several years ago. I have no one left. The only people who are missing me are the boy and Princess Zelda."

Before Ganon could stop himself, he said aloud, "Then that makes two of us."

He realized his error too late. Rosalba caught on, following his turned away gaze, brow furrowed.

"Two of us? As in, alone?"

"I am _never _alone," he snapped. "I have my minions."

"They aren't good company."

"They are better than nothing."

"I didn't think you cared."

"I don't. They are merely convenient tools to expend at will."

Rosalba tsked, disappointed. "Again, your monstrous personalities and values show brightly through your dark skin and heart. For shame, Gerudo King. Your people would expect better-"

"**NEVER **mention those women who cast me out!" Ganondorf roared, slamming his hands down on the table, cracking the wood in the process. "**NEVER!**"

Rosalba cowered back into the corner, still frowning, but holding her tongue. Once Ganondorf had calmed from his rage, she stood, straightening her skirt and shirt.

"You claim you won't hurt me, but I'm not about to push my luck. So I won't ask."

"That would be wise," Ganon quietly agreed. "Perhaps if you are lucky, I will tell you before I kill you." He turned around to continue smoothing out his plan, now taking into thought the Master Sword. When he turned around, Rosalba was standing on the table, glancing over his shoulder. He shoved her back.

"Do you mind?"

Her laughter was quiet, almost seductive sounding. "No, not at all. Continue, by all means."

Ganon's options were limited, seeing as he was a man of his word, though he always found loopholes. Here, he could find none. He had said she was welcome in _any _room of the palace so long as she remained, and this _was _a part of the palace.

_Just ignore her_, he told himself.

He tried to work, but she was there, staring over his shoulder, eyeing his every move. _Judging him. _It was torture. He was supposed to have _peace _during his planning, damnit. Not only that, but she was probably finding every problem with his planning, and refraining from telling him, only so that he would fail later on.

The feather pen in his clutches snapped in half. His fists shook as he kept from slamming down on the table in frustration.

Then, there was another on on the left side of his head. Ganon followed the contours of the feather to Rosalba's hand, the Triforce of Love radiating, pulsing gently, as his Triforce did as well. Without a word, he took the feather, dipped it in the ink, and began his drawing once again.

"Thanks," he muttered a few seconds later.

"I like watching you work," she admitted quietly. "Your face relaxes. _You _relax."

He stopped. "Do I?"

"Well, sporadically," she added. "It's probably because I'm here, and I'm making you angry because of that. But the rest of the palace is _boring_. There's nothing for me to do."

"You're _bored._ You're a prisoner on death row, and you're _bored_."

Rosalba nodded. "I'd at _least _appreciate a sewing kit or a paper and ink or _something _to keep me occupied. You're not a very good host."

"And _you're _not a very gracious guest," he snorted back.

"You said I was a _prisoner._"

"Guest, prisoner, it's all the same to me. Now, if you don't mind, I'm occupied with plotting the downfall and capturing of the Triforce of Courage."

"You mean _attempt._"

Ganondorf stood and whirled around quickly, the back of his hand colliding with Rosalba's face. She crumpled to the table in a heap, quickly regaining her senses. The Demon king glared down at her and sneered viciously.

"You've got _some nerve, _woman, you know that?! Some real nerve! It's like _daily _you forget who I am!"

"Perhaps that is because you mean _nothing _to me!" she cried. Ganondorf reeled back, then roared angrily and turned away.

"You're just like all the other power hungry monsters in the world!" she continued. "You have some sob story, then you turn your back to the people who took care of you, and go on to try and ruin everyone else's life because you're a selfish prick! You idiots think you'll be happy once everyone is as miserable as you were, or when you have all the power you can handle, but you're _never _happy! You always want more, and you'll remain that way until the day you die, like the pitiful excuse for a living being that you are!"

"_**SHUT UP!**_" Ganondorf shrieked. "You know _nothing _about me! Don't assume when you haven't the slightest clue!"

"Oh, really?!" she laughed harshly. "Enlighten me then, oh mighty Gerudo King! Tell me who and what you _really _are! Bear it all out for the world to see and judge you!"

"I want you _**dead!**_" He slammed his palms down on either side of her hips, and leaned his face in close to hers, panting and huffing.

"Do you have _any _idea how _close _I am to beating your ribs in!? Or crushing your skull into an unrecognizable pulp!? Do you have the _slightest _clue how I yearn to toss your corpse around like a ragdoll, bend you in half over and over until you're a mass of blood and flesh, and toss you towards the heavens for your goddess to behold!?"

"Yes!" she screamed back, grinning maniacally from ear to ear. She pointed a finger into the tip of his nose, hard, breaking skin and making him bleed, but he didn't recede an inch. "But you _can't, _because you still need me! You still need me alive for you to take my power from me! Isn't it _wonderful!?_"

Ganondorf screamed with impatience, and threw himself up and away from Rosalba, pacing like a caged tiger and clenching his fists. "Your death will be slow and _excruciating_, mark my words, Rosalba! You'll pay dearly for this!"

With a flurry of his cape, he flew from the room, slamming the door behind him, rattling the stone walls. Rosalba just laughed, laying on the table, arms above her head. Her coal eyes glinted in the torchlight as she whispered, "I'm your worst nightmare, aren't I? Someone who isn't afraid of you? Ha! Your life is _Hell _because of me! And I'm _proud _because of it! By the time I've died, I will have opened your eyes to the rest of the world, and maybe you won't be such a bastard."

* * *

The moon and the few torches scattered throughout the progression were the only things to light the night. The wolves barked idly from their hiding places in the trees, and the birds flew quickly at the sight of the coming danger. The silver that glinted in the light was that of belts, armor, and swords.

The pounding of hundreds of hooves echoed in the night. One of a horse, the others of the beasts and grunts not fortunate enough to own their own of either. Ganondorf himself lead the parade of monsters and misfits, sword clutched tight in his right fist as he clung to the reins.

"A few miles more," he called behind him, pointing to the horizon of trees and pines ahead. "Prepare your arms."

They followed his command, preparing their weapons, drawing bows, clubs, and crooked swords. Ganon smiled to himself. This should be easy, he told himself. There's little chance that the boy thought to draw the Master Sword in light of his return. So unlikely. The Triforce of Courage would be his by dawn.

Then, he saw the bridge. He halted the progression. "One at a time," he signaled. "No more than fifty cross with me. The rest remain to keep him from fleeing."

He and his horse walk across, hoof after hoof, foot after foot.


	6. Thwarted

"**Get up!**" she shouted at him, floating around him and shaking his head. "**Link, wake up now! Ganondorf is **_**coming!**_ _**LINK!**_"

Link shot up gasping for air, clutching at his hair and heart wildly. It was a dream- no, not a dream. A vision. That was a vision. _That was Midna, _he thought to himself. _That was Midna. She's warning me. Ganondorf is coming._ Frantically, he kicked his covers off, running across the room and snatching up his gear. _Ganondorf is coming. Ganondorf is _coming. He threw on a shirt, then huddled in the darkest corner, bow drawn, waiting.

_Ganondorf is coming._

Each time he repeated the message in his head, he heard footsteps approaching. Though he tried to be quiet, Link heard him. Link heard Ganondorf.

Then, slowly, the door creaked open.

Link let his arrow fly.

It was caught. The hand that caught it bled where the tip grazed his skin. Then, he snapped the arrow in half, chuckling.

"How did you know I was coming?" he asked as he allowed himself to be fully seen. Ganon ducked into the tree, baring his teeth like a madman, sword drawn. "Oh, but I forget who I am speaking to. The stupid mute oaf, of course! Therefore, there is no reason for idle chatter, so I shall get straight to the point."

Link charged with his sword drawn- a simple iron sword- but Ganon caught his arm, just like he had back in Hyrule with his neck. Then, he yanked the boy in close, close enough that Link's nose was brushing his chin.

"Give me the Triforce of Courage, and no one has to die."

Link twisted out of his grasp deftly, sword tight in his hands, as he swung it into Ganondorf's side. The Gerudo cried out at the blow; his armor had stopped the steel from piercing his skin, but it had certainly left a nasty nick at his side. Quickly, the small Hylian was running away from the village, carving through grunts as he went.

"Stop him!" Ganondorf shouted. "Stop him now!"

Try as they may, the monsters simply could not get it done. Link didn't escape, though, and was redirected towards his village. Then, he started screaming at the top of his lungs. It must have been some sort of warning. At this, Ganondorf grinned. Cute, but futile.

"Go after him," he laughed. "We have him cornered."

* * *

Rosalba tried to convince herself she wasn't worried. The boy- Link, she thought he was called- could take care of himself. He could fight the Gerudo King. He'd beaten him once before, when the odds were certainly not in his favor. He could certainly do it again, right?

It had been four days since Ganondorf had left the palace to go after the Triforce of Courage. He would be on his way back by now. His plan had either succeeded, or had already failed horribly and he was dead. She hoped for the latter, though she knew it would take a lot more than a lost sword fight to kill the Demon king.

She sighed, fiddling with the dark maroon dress she'd made in her spare time, palm cradling her head. There were only a few grunts left in the palace to make certain that she didn't escape, and they were always escorting her through the halls, or just outside of her room. It was incredibly boring, to say the least. She had absolutely nothing to pass the time. Rosalba stood from the dining room table, and her watchers did as well.

"I'm going to the bathhouse," she announced. "Don't bother following me. It's not like there's anywhere for me to go once I get there."

Surprisingly, the monsters nodded, but watched her carefully as she left, until they were certain that was where she was heading.

The stone walls radiated the heat that was coming from the afternoon sun outside, and perspiration formed on her forehead. The walk seemed farther than usual to Ganondorf's room. She was still confused as to why he would trust her to remain by herself here without him. Maybe he was more comfortable knowing she was stuck in the middle of the desert rather than traveling with him, where she'd have a more likely chance of escape. Yes, that was probably it.

Then, when she finally reached the room, she heard chirping, and smiled.

"There you are, my little friend," she crooned happily. She held out her finger and immediately, Chien fluttered onto the makeshift perch. "It still baffles me as to why you would follow me all the way out here. I'm nothing special. I'm just another Hylian, you know."

Still, the little red Canary smiled only as a bird can, and nuzzled its head against her thumb happily. Rosalba laughed, then continued to her destination in the next room.

"I suppose the details no longer matter. You're here with me, in my final days, and you're friendly company enough."

Her Triforce pulsed happily, showing the bird's love for her.

As she was bathing, the bird in her palm bathing itself, vaguely, she became aware of some shadows shifting around her. Rosalba dismissed it as just the sun changing position in the sky, but the more she observed, the more erratic the shadows seemed to be. Curiously, she reached out a hand to touch the shadows, and as she did, her fingers vanished in the shadow.

Rosalba yelped and yanked her arm back. Her fingers were fine. After reassuring herself she was fine, she stuck her arm in up to the elbow.

"Strange," she mused to herself. Without another thought, she leaned forward until her face was inside the shadow.

It was the Twilight realm. She'd heard about it after Link's exploits in the realm- which were little known of- but she wasn't actually there. It was just an image.

She saw the Twilight Princess, Midna, sitting at her throne, with an extremely concerned look on her face. When she saw Rosalba, she rose to her feet.

"Rosalba," she said immediately, "you can't stay there. Ganondorf is going to fail in his attack on Link, and he's going to be _livid._ There's no telling how he will deal with the bitter anger of his defeat."

"How are you doing this?" Rosalba asked, completely ignoring Midna's previous statement.

"Listen to me! You're in danger! You have to flee, I don't know what he's told you, but if he loses control, there's no guarantee that whatever he promised you will remain true."

"I can't leave, the desert is a harsh place. I couldn't use the Song of Flight, because the statues used no longer exist, the Song of Time would do me no good, nor the Hylians- what do you expect me to do!?"

"If you won't leave," Midna fumed, "Then barricade yourself in somewhere. Just make sure he can't get to you!"

"And why should I trust you!?" the Triforce bearer shot back. "You're stuck there, you can't see anything!"

"Where there is shadow, there is me. Now throw some clothes on and get to work!"

Rosalba was forced out of the shadow and back into the water. It was a rather odd exchange, made even more so by the water streaming up her nose, but she knew, deep down, that there was no time to waste. Hastily, she dried herself off, set Chien outside to fly away, dressed herself, then went to prepare to hide.

She knew she would need water and food especially, and somewhere warm and dry to make her improvised base, so she went to the kitchen, piling food into as many baskets as she could carry in one trip. She snatched a pillow and some blankets as well, and a comb.

The perfect hiding place ended up being at the far end of the castle, in a small study with many books. Hurriedly, she limped as she barricaded the door behind her with the latch already ready for use, then after a few minutes, shoved a bookshelf in front of it, until it was leaning against it. Then, she moved the smaller bookshelf, then the desk, then a few chairs and a crate.

After, she stepped back, satisfied with her fortification. Even Ganondorf would have difficulty getting through that, she thought as she heard the desperate pounding from her other captors on the other side.

Rosalba sighed, taking one of the books, then creating a makeshift bed with the blankets she'd taken, and lay down on them. She opened the book, and began to read, hoping that it wouldn't take long for Ganon to return to see if she had protected herself well enough.

* * *

"D-don't listen to him, Link!" Ilia shouted, trying futilely to wrench herself free from Ganon's grasp. "H-he's bluffing! He wouldn't do that!"

The beaten hero was on his knees, uncertain if he should make a move or not in regards to Ilia's safety. Ganon claimed that he would slit her throat if Link made another move, but how could he be certain? Maybe he was just using Ilia as bait to hand over the Triforce of Courage.

So, Link bided his time, panting and glaring at Ganondorf the whole time.

"You're hardly worth my time," Ganon scoffed, though he, too, was suffering from some fatigue. It had been a difficult battle, but now he had Link where he wanted him, the rest of the villagers captured behind his back. "Release what belongs to me, and I will let the girl go. It's that simple."

"Don't!" Ilia shouted, but Ganon brought his blade up to her neck, threatening to cut. Link started, but stilled himself just as quickly.

It was a dilemma. Either he could give Ganon what he wanted, and save Ilia, if only for a short period of time, or he could refuse, watch as Ilia died, and give the world more time to survive. After all, the Gerudo still had the Tetraforce with him. Either way, he would eventually retrieve the entire Triforce, be it through force or threat. Should he let his affections for Ilia overcome his duty to the world?

Link knew the answer, deep down. But his own selfishness bested him.

Link disarmed himself. Ganondorf smiled.

"Good," he almost purred. "Now you may come forward. As soon as I possess your Triforce, I will let the girl go."

Ilia was crying now, though she had stopped fighting Ganon. "It's not worth it…" she repeated quietly over and over. "It's not worth it!"

Link got to his feet slowly, still uncertain if he was making the right choice. His heart ached. Before he could even take one full step, however, the air next to his head parted, and the next thing anyone knew, Ganondorf was gasping for air, clutching at his chest, clawing at it like there was a rodent inside.

It was a light arrow.

In his pain, he released Ilia, who skittered away quickly. As he yanked the arrow from his chest, Link surged forward, sword back in his hand, and dug the blade into the Demon king's gut. The Gerudo doubled over, gasping, mouth agape with the suddenness of the attack.

"Gah! N-no!" Ganon stuttered, blood already dripping to the ground. He was frozen in place as his body tried to counteract the pain with anger, but to no avail. It may not have been the Master Sword, but it was certain that there was _some _sort of magic in it. Whatever it was, it was in his veins now, and it did _not _feel right. _Poison, _he realized. _It's some sort of strong poison._

Once Link was certain enough poison was in his system, he with drew his sword, then aimed for Ganon's chest. However, the Gerudo king had already recovered, and quickly sidestepped him, and stumbled back, grunting as his vision blurred.

"You… you!"

The village stared, uncertain if they had won yet. But one good glare from Link was enough.

Ganon ran. The majority of his minions followed, but a few were cut down by Link and whoever else could fight. Only when Ganondorf was out of sight, and the rumble and pound of his footsteps were gone, did everyone relax. Link smiled wearily as Ordon Village applauded and cheered to him.

He didn't really like the attention.

Meanwhile, Ganon was already mounting his horse, stumbling a bit as he did. The poison, whatever it was, was devastating his already low health. Before he spurred his horse onwards, he saw the glint of magic waver and fade, and glared at Princess Zelda bitterly. She only folded her arms and smirked.

"Aren't you going to finish the job?" he sneered.

"I'm not a murderer. Whatever happens, happens."

He didn't want to hear anymore, as he was already in excruciating pain. He kicked his horse, and flew into the sunrise, holding his gut, trying to slow the bleeding.

Ganon rode fast and long for the two day journey, never stopping for a second, unless absolutely necessary. More of his grunts dropped off one by one, either from fatigue or battle wounds, but he cared for neither. He was only concerned for his own health, slowly degenerating.

He tried some medicinal herbs by Hyrule Lake, but they did him no good, only dulling the pain for a short while, before it returned sharper than before. He tried some cactus juices in the desert, which had the same effect. By that time, he'd let his horse go to return to the palace alone, as it was nearly dead from carrying him, and only a fourth of his troops were still alive.

And, by the time he slammed open the doors to the infirmary, every type of cure was waiting for him, prepared by the smartest doctors he had on hand. Beakers and glasses shattered when his arm swept past them as he feebly reached for the medicine. After he had everything in his arms, he collapsed.

He still felt terrible by the time he'd drunk or eaten everything prepared for him, but the bleeding had stopped, and no poison could get the best of him. He would survive. When Ganon felt well enough to move again (which took approximately an hour), he got up off of the floor, vomited, then called for one of his servants.

"Fix this," he growled as he pointed to his now exposed stomach. "Stitch it up, then bandage my chest. I was struck by the Princess with a light arrow."

The grunt bowed, and went to work, though he seemed fidgety and frightened. Ganondorf noticed this in no time, and stopped him with a wave of his hand.

"What did Rosalba do this time?" he sighed.

The grunt, surprised that his master had guessed the problem so quickly, stuttered for a second before responding, "She's locked herself in one of the studies, your Majesty. We haven't been able to break through, as she's barricaded herself in. This happened just a few hours ago."

"I thought I told you to watch her," Ganon accused with a cold glare.

"She was bathing just before it occurred. She'd already locked the door before we realized that she had left the bathhouse. Please, forgive us."

The Demon king grunted, and waved his hand dismissively.

"As long as she hasn't escaped or killed herself, you've done nothing wrong. Which study?"

"The North corridor, your Majesty. There are no windows in that one."

Ganon grinned, chuckling.

"Continue healing me. I will pay her a visit myself once I am well."


	7. Poisoned

The loud knocking at the other side of the barricade woke Rosalba from her sleep. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and yawned as she inquired, "What do you want? You ought to know I'm not coming out."

On the other side, Ganondorf frowned, a bit annoyed. "I have returned."

"Oh dear," Rosalba stated, but she didn't sound too concerned. "Then you must have been successful. How wonderful for you. Now leave me be, desert animal."

The door cracked when he pounded into it, but, surprisingly, did not budge.

"I am your _master!_" he seethed. "Not some lowly Deku shrub! I command you to come out at once!"

"No," came the short, calm reply. "Why should I obey someone who constantly fails to achieve their own goals? I _know _you failed to retrieve the Triforce of Courage. You're obviously not worth my admiration, or respect."

Ganon smashed the door again, only barely cracking the bookcase behind it. The next punch, however, caused the wooden furniture to split right in half horizontally. He peeled away the broken door, but the bookcase would not budge until he cut it, and removed it that way. Then, there was a small crack in the next barricade, and he peered through to the woman on the other side. Just barely, he could see her sitting on the floor at the opposite wall with a _book _in her hand. She was _taunting _him.

"Woman, I swear to Din, if you do not come out at once-"

"You'll what?" she spat back. "Say more angry things to me?"

Rosalba stood up, and walked to the crack in her defenses, arms folded and eyes narrowed. Soon, all he could see of her was her head.

"You can't harm me until you have the other two pieces, so you won't get your anger out properly no matter what you do to me. You can't harm me, and that's your specialty, is harming people. Therefore, it is not _I _who is the prisoner, but rather, it is _you_."

"Me!?"

"You are a prisoner to your own weakness. You allow your desires to get the better of you, regardless of how achievable they are. It seems the more impossible the task, the more you lust after it, and the more you waste your time on a fruitless effort that will end in nothing but tragedy for you."

Again, the Gerudo king slammed his fist against the barricade, and growled and grumbled, furious. But he did not say anything, and because of that, Rosalba smiled.

"You know it's true. You can't even come up with an argument. The great strategist, fallen by his own unquenchable thirst for fear and power. How fitting."

"Th-this will only end worse for you when the time comes to execute you," the Gerudo shuddered, trying to maintain his facade of control. Rosalba slunk back against the wall next to the door.

"I'm not afraid anymore," she bragged. "Come the time for me to part this world, I will go laughing, mark my words, you bastard."

Suddenly, the chairs, desk, and crate all splinted into thousands of small fragments, flying in every direction and creating a vortex of dust and dirt. Rosalba threw her hand up, shielding her face from the debris and squeaking in surprise. Once it all had settled, she leapt to her feet and went to the wall opposite the doorway.

But Ganon just stood there, right fist extended, panting as the Triforce of Power resumed its dormant state. Then, with a heavy groan, he leaned against the doorway, clutching his stomach and heaving dryly.

Rosalba saw the veins on his hands.

"You've been poisoned by Dragon's Sweat!" she exclaimed, knowing those sickly markings by heart. Excitedly, she rushed up to him, taking his left hand and examining it thoroughly. "It looks like you were poisoned two days ago, am I correct?"

"Let go of me!" Ganondorf screamed, partially because he hated the woman, and partially because there was an awful burning sensation where her hand had been. He swatted her away, reeling backwards and almost falling on his hind end. But Rosalba didn't give him an inch, following him the whole way.

"It doesn't matter how strong you are, once Dragon's Sweat is in your blood, there's only one thing in the world that can cure that," she continued.

"And… And I assume… you will not tell… me…" Ganondorf huffed. He'd felt better before when he'd taken those medicines, but now he felt worse than ever. It was a kind of sickness he hadn't felt in a very, very long time. Even _he _knew the Triforce of Power wasn't invulnerable against _everything_.

"I will _not _tell you," Rosalba confirmed.

"Then I am perished-"

"I wasn't finished."

Ganon raised an eyebrow at her, still huffing. "Then speak!"

Another wave of pain shot through him, and he fell to his knees. The small woman offered her hand, but he did not take it, rising of his own accord.

"I will not _tell _you," she said, "but I will _show _you, and _I _will heal you."

He couldn't believe his ears. Perhaps she had misspoken. But she walked down the hall in the direction of the front doors without correcting herself. Ganon stumbled after her, and tugged her back.

"Where are you… going?"

"There's only one type of herb that can force Dragon's Sweat to excrete naturally from one's body, and it is found far north of Hyrule," she explained impatiently. "If you want to survive, you will have to allow me to take you to a very specific cave where the herb can be found. I _do _assume you wish to continue living, correct?"

His mouth flapped uselessly, and no sound come out. She was correct. Rosalba rolled her eyes, and yanked him down to be eye level with her by the hair on his chin.

"I will _not _repeat myself. You're wasting the little valuable time I have left of my life. The only reason I'm not just allowing you to die is because it's not in my nature to stand by and watch something perish when there was something I could have done to save them. That is all. Now get us some horses and let's _go_."

She smacked him across his face to force him back to his senses, then marched right out the front door, and closed it behind her. Once the doors were closed, Ganondorf ran to the stables, hacking and coughing.

He was a _warrior. _He wasn't supposed to die by some stupid _poison_.

* * *

Even though he was deathly ill, Ganon wasn't about to let his key to immortality ride on her own horse, even if she wanted it. So, with her hands and feet bound once again, he had placed her on a fresh steed and they were flying over the barren sands of the desert. It was a day's journey to Lake Hyrule, and they were making fine time given that timeframe.

Neither spoke a word to each other until they were at the shore of the lake and setting up camp to rest for the night. Rosalba had insisted that they stop to rest for the horse's sake, and threatened to not direct him to the herb otherwise. "You'll survive the night anyhow," she claimed. "The poison _will _kill you, but the Triforce of Power will enable you to hold on a bit longer."

So, it was with grumbling discontent that she and he lay down their sleeping gear and created a campfire. Ganon sits and rests, while Rosalba paced restlessly, never going too far from the Gerudo.

"Something is troubling you," he guesses at length.

"Yes," she admits, "but you shouldn't concern yourself with it."

"I will listen if you will speak. It will be my payment to you for sparing my life."

This makes her pause. As she does, Chien flutters down onto her shoulder, which surprised both her and Ganondorf. After sending the bird away, she sits in the grass across from him.

"You will listen, but you will not care. Therefore, its not worth either of our time."

"I am not devoid of all feeling, Rosalba."

She dips her head down for a moment, thinking of how to word her next sentence. Then, she looks back up at him, looking sad for the first time in a while.

"My heart is discontent. My last true happy days were here at this very shore, and I have not felt happy since. Even before you took me as your prisoner, I was not happy. You were not the first to make me suffer, but you certainly made my life worse. And now I am here again, and I am reminded of those better times, and I now truly realize how terrible I feel. I almost _want _to die now."

It all came out in one quick breath, and he was surprised by the suddenness of it all. But as he quickly processed it, it made sense, with how cruel she was towards him even when he was, in his eyes, "kind".

After a brief period of silence, Ganondorf said, "To wish for death is to submit to weakness. Gerudo are trained from a young age to forget weakness and only know strength, even if it means to rely on fear for that strength. It may not be what you Hylians see as 'happiness', but it kept my people alive even when they were banished."

"I don't want to be strong," she said. "I want to be happy. You can't rely on power for everything, Ganondorf. Power does not necessarily bring happiness."

"And what makes _you _happy?"

She glanced at him again, and he looked legitimately curious, even a little smug, though still obviously in pain.

"What would you do if I told you?" she asked.

"That all depends on how you behave," he answered.

"Then I have nothing to lose," she sighed. Rosalba gazed off into the distance, lost in thought. "Happiness for me is quiet days in the forest, with no sound but the gentle whistle of the wind and the birds serenading me. Happiness is lying content in the flowers in Hyrule Field, watching the clouds pass and contort with the wind. It's the embrace of someone you love, who means a lot to you and has had an impact on your life that you can't reverse, but wouldn't want to even if the _world _depended on it. I guess, for me, Happiness is love itself."

Then, her expression turned cold again as she made eye contact, the white spheres in her black eyes cold and bitter.

"But you wouldn't know anything about _true _love. Your love of destruction and anarchy come nowhere close to the love of another person, or even a calm, sunny day. You know _nothing _of the power you wish to obtain from me, and if you did, perhaps you would think twice of the damage you would cause to not just Hyrule but the entire _world_."

Ganon's expression did not change. He continued to look on at her, still amused.

"One life will not change the rest of the world, Rosalba. I did not think your ego was so massive as to think that life cannot go on without your presence."

"It's not like that! Without Love, there truly is no purpose to life!"

"Love is not necessary to survive," Ganon argued. "I am still here, alive and well, and Love has not had an impact on me as you claim it should have. Life will go on without Love."

"Not as it is now. Everything will change. _Everything_."

The Demon king rolled his eyes, and reclined on his back.

"Say what you think. It isn't true."

"Love is why you still live." Rosalba barked. "Someone was kind and caring enough to raise you from the womb, to the cradle and onward until you were capable of caring for yourself. Someone _loved _you, Ganondorf. That _someone _was whom you would refer to as your guardian, or your mother."

"I had no mother!" he barked back. "I was raised by all of the Gerudo as a whole."

"Then they were _all _your mother."

"It was their _duty, _not their pleasure. They had better things to do than look after the male heir, but they had no choice."

"I'm sure at least _one _loved you."

Ganondorf rolled over and grunted, refusing to believe a word she said. If any of them had, then either they were poor at showing it, or he was poor at seeing it. Typical of his nature, he believed the latter.

Frustrated, Rosalba stood up, and walked to the shore. "I won't leave your sight," she said. "But I'm hot, and want to cool down."

The Gerudo sighed, still in pain, but did not say anything more to her.

* * *

The night was eerily quiet. They sat at opposite sides of the fire from each other, staring blankly into the flames. She poked at it with her wooden stick, he rubbed his hands together.

"It is still not as cold as the desert," he said. She did not reply.

He refused to sleep unless she slept, and she would not sleep. When he asked her why, she said, "The stars are wonderful tonight."

Silently, Ganon agreed. But eventually, she _did _fall asleep, around perhaps midnight. The fire died down to embers, and he studied her across the way.

Her skin was soft, her hair was like silk, and was not at all flat. She had pale, small hands, he realized. Small hands were considered attractive among Gerudo, for any number of reasons he couldn't fathom. And when she slept, her features softened, and looked far less harsh and bitter.

He was mesmerized. The stars seemed less bright suddenly, and he snorted as he peeled his gaze away.

Ganon rolled over and fell asleep. He would wake repeatedly through the night in excruciating pain, until he eventually would stop sleeping all together. And in that remaining time until morning, he stared at the woman that held the key to his immortality.


	8. Hit

The raging waters of the Zora kingdom's waterfall slowly ebbed from their hearing as they ventured farther north towards the icy climate of northern Hyrulian lands. There was no life that survived up there without good shelter and food, and you could not have one or the other at the same time unless you were truly, ridiculously lucky. Rosalba and Ganon both knew this, leaving their horse south of the Zora river and continuing on foot from there.

With the deep snow, however, the going was slow, and it had taken time to gather enough fabric to create suitable winter clothing for both Ganon and Rosalba. Night was already beginning to fall. She began to wonder if they should head back, but the Gerudo refused.

"This pain ends _now_," he shouted over the high winds and snow. At the same time, another wave of the Dragon's Sweat rolled through him, and his vision blurred as he tried to keep his balance.

When they reached the cliff face of the mountain, they glanced at each other, and Ganon knew what to do. Rosalba clambered onto his back, and he leapt from one surface to another, each one leaving him out of breath because of his poisoned body.

"How do you even know where this herb is?" he called over his shoulder.

"My father died from Dragon's Sweat," she replied blandly. "My mother died on the way to get the medicine for him. She froze to death up here. The Zora are the ones who found her body."

Deep down, Ganon felt a twinge of sympathy, but did not show it. "How old were you?"

"Eight."

"My condolences," he muttered. She did not hear him. At this point, there were no more leaping points, and Ganondorf had to rely on his strength alone to climb up the cliffs. As he finished speaking, one of the rocks he'd grabbed a hold of gave away, and as his arm swung out, his other hand slipped loose. He and Rosalba cried out as they tumbled, before he managed to grab onto the wall again, much to the dismay of his fatigued muscles.

But Rosalba lost her grip on the Gerudo, and fell. He felt her fingertips graze his boot before she was lost in the white abyss below. The last he saw of her were her arms outstretched for him. She made no sound as she fell.

"ROSALBA!" he screamed.

There was no reply. Only the silent _whoosh _of the wind. Without hesitation, he let go of the rocks and plummeted after her. He dove like an arrow, limbs locked and straight, until he saw land, then curled in on himself. He sank into the snow by five feet, before springing back up.

"Rosalba!" he tried again. He shielded his eyes from the harsh snow, squinting and searching for any sign of the woman. "Answer me, wench!"

He glared around, but from this point, there wasn't any sign of her. He had to get higher up to survey what little he could see.

He leaned against the wall of the mountain, using the packed snow to get a higher vantage point. He saw his footprints and indents in the snow, and- there! Some twenty feet away, the snow fell away. Surely, that was where she'd landed.

Ganondorf waded through the snow, tripping as he went, until he reached the hole, and peered down.

Yes, it was Rosalba, unconscious, but alive, and quickly being covered in snow. He scooped her up, trying to shake her awake. When that didn't work, he slung her over his shoulders, tromped back to the mountain, and began the climb again. Foot after foot, his fingers clutched the rocks for dear life, even when most would have shook their heads and headed back down. He gritted his teeth against the pain until his fingers were numb.

At last, he reached the top, where he could see a cave. It wasn't until he'd left a handprint in the snow that he saw he was bleeding. There wasn't time to worry about that though. He swung Rosalba back around, into his arms, and limped into the cave, panting and shivering. Gently, he laid her down, then quickly pulled some firewood out from his pack (which he'd had her carry) and began a fire.

Then, he punched the wall, causing a cave in at the entrance, so that the heat would remain trapped. He could dig his way out, it was no big deal.

With all of that completed, Ganondorf sighed, and shuddered, now feeling the cold in his joints for the first time.

"I should be dead," he muttered aloud as he glanced down at the Triforce of Power glowing like a beacon. "With the poison and the cold…"

He remembered Rosalba, and moved her unconscious body closer to the fire.

"You should be dead too."

Sure enough, her Triforce was also glowing. That dark red pulsed in time with her heartbeat, he realized, while the outlines of the sacred symbol were constant. Curious, he took her small left hand in his right, to investigate it more closely. As he did, the hand was yanked away from him. Rosalba was awake.

"That's _mine_," she muttered.

Relieved, the Demon king sighed and smirked.

"For a time," he agreed, "but I _will _take it from you."

"You do not always keep your promises," she scolded him. She then proceeded to sit up, and slowly acknowledged her surroundings.

"We are at the peak," Ganon assured her. "I closed off the cave to preserve heat. Should need be, I can break us out."

"I was actually wondering about food."

Wordlessly, he dug into the pack again, retrieving some crushed and bruised fruit, and a chicken ready for cooking. He speared the animal on his own sword, and propped it over the fire, jamming the edge into the stone wall.

"That will cook quickly enough," he promised before he sat down himself. As he did so, Rosalba stood, and began to walk deeper into the cave.

"And where do you think you're going?" he questioned.

"The herb you need is just outside the other end of this tunnel," she said. "You should have checked both sides before assuming it was just a cave." And she continued to walk, without another word. Painfully, Ganon stood as well and followed suit.

"It can wait," he called. "I can survive until morning."

"The veins have reached your neck," she called right back. "Once they're up to your mouth, that's the point of no return. The end. No more Gerudo King. We need them _now_."

"I will be fine!" he shouted, growing angry. "You will listen to me! I can't risk losing you again!"

At the mouth of the cave now, Rosalba stopped. Ganon rounded the corner and saw her turned around, looking at him, smirking.

"Ganondorf." she whispered, still smirking, black eyes glinting in the low light as the snow nipped her back, "I didn't think you cared about me. Charming."

It took him a second to understand the joke until she was out in the snow, heading towards a large tree in the background. Quickly, he ran after her, shouting, "You ass! That's not what I meant! It's your power that concerns me!"

About halfway to the tree now.

"Don't be afraid of your emotions," she hollered over the snow. "Emotions are what power us ever onward. My strong emotions against Death are why I strive to save you. I do not bottle up my emotions, because it is harmful for not only me, but everyone around me."

Three fourths of the way to the tree.

"You are mistaking fear of losing power, to fear of losing love. I do not love you. Why would you even mention such a thing!? What has that to do with anything!?"

"It is that I pity you," she confessed. "Even with all of your power, all of your strength and will, you must be, by far, the most cowardly man I've ever met!"

She's digging in the snow now.

"Cowardly!? Should I remind you that I _rule _an army of monsters and could single handedly invade Hyrule at a moment's notice, if it weren't for the Princess and the boy!?"

"That's not brave. That's foolish, and arrogant. Those who are truly brave do what they know is right, even if it _frightens _them. Cowards stick within their known boundaries, never daring to venture farther. I have _never _seen you afraid, Ganondorf. The brave are the ones who _fear_."

She plucked a violet flower from the ground beneath the snow. The plant was in peak condition, as if it thrived in the snow, or the snow had no effect. At this point, Ganon had caught up to her, and lifted her and whirled her up by her shoulders.

"What you are trying to tell me is that I am a _coward _for not being afraid?! That's illogical! It makes no sense!"

She closed her eyes, sighed, shrugged. Defeated. Her shoulders sagged.

"Perhaps you will understand someday. It's as best as I can explain it to you, I'm afraid. Now release me so I can return to the tunnel and prepare your antidote. You don't have much time left. The veins have reached your beard."

It took a minute for his hands to respond to his brain, and eventually, he released her. "I do _not _love you," he reiterated, uncertain if she'd gotten the message or not.

She walked past him, hands clutched to her arms, trying to retain heat on her way back.

* * *

Along with some other plants and fruits, Rosalba dissolved the petals of the herbal flower into a cup of hot water. Ganon watched her meticulously. He had to memorize this process, in case he was poisoned again and needed to make the journey himself.

Whatever particles were left, she filtered out, then took a cloth from their things and soaked it into the liquid.

"Before you can drink, I have to sterilize where you were wounded with this. I need to see _every _place that sword touched, or this will not work. Dragon's Sweat is self- regenerating, and therefore, the wounds where they originated must be completely cleansed of the substance."

Begrudgingly, Ganon removed his thick layers of clothing, until he was shirtless. The only two places where the sword had broke skin were his hip and stomach. Rosalba went to work immediately, pressing the cloth to his stomach first.

The pain he'd felt before was _nothing _compared to now. Without thinking twice, he smacked her away as soon as the liquid dripped onto his gut, roaring and cursing and spitting.

"AAGH! Y-YOU'RE TRYING TO **KILL **_**ME!**_" he claimed loudly. It took thirty seconds for the pain to simmer down so that he could actually open his clenched eyes, and he glared in the direction he had hit her. He immediately regretted it. Her face was already swelling on her left side, and blood trickled from her nose and mouth. She was on her knees, shuddering and sobbing.

She wouldn't come near him, not with that pain, he knew. So he reached for her, trying to take the cloth from her. Rosalba elbowed his hand into the ground and screamed, "DON'T TOUCH ME! YOU **MONSTER!**"

Ganondorf recoiled, shocked, and even a little sad. He did not get angry like he typically did, to his own surprise. He genuinely felt… hurt. It was a strange feeling that he hadn't experienced in a long time, and didn't know how to cope with it.

"I… I didn't mean to," he mumbled, still staring at her. "I didn't. I swear."

"Do you!?" she cried right back. "Do you _swear!? _Well, that's not good enough for me! Look at me! Look at what you've done, and it's all because I wanted to _help_ you!"

Neither said anything else. It was an eerie, uncomfortable silence, as they stared, until Rosalba looked away.

"You _can't _do that to me," she whispered. "I'm not strong like you, Ganon. Any harder, and you would have snapped my neck."

She looked so… _pitiful_. Small. Frail. He had the sudden urge to protect her, which he quickly shoved back down.

"I won't do it again," he promised. "I will sit on my hands, and I will not lash out at you again. Now heal me."

"No."

"_Please, _Rosalba."

She glanced up, surprised. Her left eye was swollen shut now. After a moment of thought, she sighed, taking the cloth and very, very slowly, re-applying it once Ganon had done as he'd promised. His roar was deafening, and he thrashed violently, but he did not hit her again.

Once the pain had ebbed away, she removed the now dry fabric. To Ganondorf's surprise, the gash was completely healed, save for a small scar. The process was repeated with his hip where Link had gotten him the first time, and the pain there wasn't _nearly _as harsh or unforgiving. The veins at his chin had also receded back to the base of his neck.

"Now," she said, "Drink what's left. It won't burn your insides like it did your injuries, but it doesn't taste too wonderful either."

"What about your face?" he asked. "Couldn't this do the same?"

"It only works _inside _the body with internal ailments, nothing physical," Rosalba bluntly stated. "It would have no effect if I were to drink it, because nothing's wrong with me _inside_. This will have to heal on its own, unless we are fortunate enough to find a Fairy on our way back."

After a moment's hesitation, Ganon finally brought the bowl to his lips and gulped it down quickly. She was right, it was like he was drinking perfume. It was awful, but it was over with quickly. Noticeably, but slowly, his skin began to return to normal, those unhealthy black veins receding back into his skin.

"I truly am sorry," he said to Rosalba. "It's a knee-jerk reaction, to lash out when I am in pain."

"Good for you. I'm going to sleep."

Her last remark left the room much, much colder, even with the heat of the fire to keep them warm. She laid down at the opposite end of the tunnel and the fire, away from Ganondorf, and threw her blanket over herself.


	9. Conflicted

The wide expanse of the Hyrule fields were a warm welcome in comparison the the harsh winter climates the two had braved the day before. Rosalba clung to his back as his horse trotted down the worn path, trying hard not to fall asleep. He'd risen her bright and early, when the wind was at its weakest, so that they would not be blinded on their way back. She noticed that ever since the night before, the giant Gerudo had been far more calm towards her and patient. It confused and concerned her. What was he trying to get from her, if anything at all besides her power?

Ganondorf himself had his thoughts awhirl and confused. He certainly wouldn't deny that he was developing positive feelings towards his prisoner, but where were these feelings leading him? That was what he wanted to find out beforehand, should they be going someplace undesirable for his final result. Too much of a connection could devastate his final mission to take the Triforce of Love from her.

As they crossed over the bridge to head back into the desert, Ganon was roused from his thoughts by the sound of a soft, but melodic voice coming from behind. He knew it was Rosalba, but it still took him by surprise.

"_In the ancient Deku Tree, the Sacred Grove called out to me._

_The branches whispered, the creek trembled._

_Darkness is at hand._"

Ganon recognized the tune as an old folk song from long before the magical tunes were discovered, when those two places were still that from a myth, before they were discovered and found to be real. He'd been taught the melody when he was much, much younger, before he had become the warmonger his own people despised. The rest of the Gerudo did not want to go to war.

"_In the hidden Sacred Grove, the Master Sword gave me the code._

_Feathers fluttered, breezes shuddered._

_Run there while you can._

"_On the peaceful Hyrule shore, my telescope saw lands of lore._

_Four winds shifted, I was lifted_

_off to see that land._"

Rosalba clutched at his back tighter as a particularly strong gust brushed past them. Her head rested on the curve of his spine, gazing off into the distance.

"_In the windy Hyrule sky, the Deku Tree sent me a sign._

_Children crying, elders dying._

_Darkness took the land."_

Ganondorf grunted. _Yes, darkness _will _claim this place. _ But of course, that wasn't the end of the song. It was about second chances. The singer of the tune is given celestial signs that the world will soon end, and is guided to freedom somewhere in the sky. As the last one that hasn't been claimed by despair and death, the singer then proceeds back to the Hyrule lands to try and right the wrongs done.

It's an infinite loop. There is no end.

"_Why save me? Why free me?_

_I have nothing to return._

_Why give me the chance to be_

_free from dark eternity?_

_Should I return my favor to_

_those who let me be?_

_If it be so, then I will go_

_back to the Deku Tree."_

Then, she was quiet. The Gerudo didn't think much of it, until suddenly, without rhyme or reason, they were surrounded by light, which swirled around them slowly. The horse didn't seem to even see the spectacle, and continued to trot east back towards the desert. Almost in a whisper, the beams of light sung back the answer to the tune.

"_We save you, we free you,_

_to aid the frail and old and new._

_No more darkness in your soul,_

_no more nights as black as coal._

_Take up the light and fight the dark_

_and rile up your heart._

_This is your code, and you are known_

_as ours, always a part._"

The light flowed through her veins, creating a harmonic hum, before vanishing as quickly as they'd come, retreating back into her own body. Ganon stared all around him, trying to find any trace of what he'd just seen, but there was nothing. Then, he angled his head to ask Rosalba, but she was already prepared to reply.

"It's the perks of having the Triforce of Love," she replied. "Where there is love, happiness follows suit."

Ganondorf nodded, content with her answer, then spurred his horse a little faster. The light was something he wanted as little to do with as possible.

* * *

The doors to the stables were flung open by the waiting grunts, and Ganon trotted in, Rosalba in his arms. Even as the horse kept moving, he slid off, making sure not to disturb the sleeping woman. "This one," he said, motioning to the horse, "deserves a royal treatment. Clean his hooves, massage his legs and brush his mane immediately."

"Yes, your majesty," they said.

Having no more orders, the Gerudo king continued into the palace. He held the small Hylian closer to his chest when she shivered, and was aware of his heart pounding rather loudly against his ribcage. It made him feel almost sick. The only other time his heart would pound like that was if he was in the heat of battle, and even then that wasn't his main concern. Here, it was all he had to focus on.

He entered his bedroom a few minutes later, laying the woman down carefully on the crisp, clean sheets. She remained fast asleep. Ganon turned away, and undressed himself, definitely ready for a long slumber after those four days in Hyrule. The woman was still asleep when he turned around, and he couldn't help but stare. She was just so… _calm_.

Like a cat stalking its prey, he carefully crawled on to the bed, so that he would not wake her, only to preserve this unseen side of this harsh and bitter Hylian. Even he would argue that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Of course, that did not necessarily mean that he _loved _her, because, frankly, he did not. Never. He did not love her, and that was that.

"Don't lie to yourself, Ganondorf."

Startled, the Gerudo glanced around for the source of the spoken words, but found nothing. Then, he was assaulted with a harsh, relentless, sudden headache, and reeled off of the bed.

The room around him vanished right after the words were spoken, and all there was was darkness around him; it was an infinite blackness that went on for eternity, yet at the same time, suffocated the Gerudo. He could still feel the floor beneath him, but he could not see it. If he reached out, and stood up, he could feel Rosalba's face, but he could not see her either.

Then, there was an unfamiliar voice laughing. It echoed throughout the entire void Ganon now found himself in. He growled, reaching for his sword, but realizing that he'd just undressed. He was unarmed.

"You have an attachment to the woman," the voice taunted, chuckling at his reflex to fight. "It may not be love yet, but that can soon change."

This voice was soft, and melodic, like the bubbling of a brook. He hated it.

"Who are you?" he growled, glaring all around him for the source of the sound. "What have you done to me? Where are you?"

"I'm afraid I do not have a physical form I can share with you, Gerudo King, but all you need to know is that I am a goddess myself. I am known to the few who believe in me as Ordae."

"The Love Goddess, I assume."

"Rosalba has a sort of aura about her, if you will," the voice continued, not quite answering him. "Her Tetraforce never rests or is dormant, though it is not always seen. Her impact is subtle, though after time, can be quite noticeable. Despite her crude demeanor towards you, she has still affected you with her powers. Regardless whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, your will to destroy her grows weaker each passing day."

Ganon stuttered for words.

"Her power- _your _power- will be _mine!_" he barked harshly. "I am above petty emotions and feelings such as those Hylians face!"

A pause. Then, the voice perks up again. He can hear the smile in her voice.

"Are you certain of that? Again, do not lie to yourself. Only say what you _know _to be true, not what you _believe_."

He didn't understand. He believes in what is _true. _There shouldn't be a difference!

"I… I _will _conquer you _both! _I will rise as a god myself, and take you _and _your sisters down from your thrones! This world is _mine!_"

The void shook, and pulsed red, faintly, but loudly all at the same time.

"That is what you believe. It may, or may not, be true, but that is uncertain, even in the foreseeable future."

Ganon did not want to hear any of this anymore. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, holding his skull with both hands.

"I am _right! _I am always right! I _will _rule the world!"

"But is that what you _want_? Truly? Or are you looking for something more _simple? _Something even a petty _Hylian woman _could give to you?"

Ganon began to shake and tremble, and when he opened his eyes, he was back in his room. He glanced around. Nothing had changed. Even Rosalba hadn't stirred. But even now, he felt ill and weak from his hallucination. The Gerudo king rested his head against the corner of his bed and sighed shakily, clutching the rug beneath him.

* * *

"Are you certain this is the best choice for us?" Mayor Bo asked the woman before him. The entire village was being relocated to Hyrule Castle, with security in mind, due to Ganondorf's recent attack on the place two weeks prior.

Zelda nodded. "Hyrule Castle is one of the safest places in the known land, Mayor. If Ganon were to attack this place again, there's no telling if any of you would survive. I believe it is in all of our best interests for you to remain in the castle with me for some time, until this threat passes."

"No!" Beth shouted, stomping her foot. "Link will protect us from anything!"

Zelda sighed, taking the girl's hand in hers.

"Beth, Link _is _the danger. Wherever he is, for the time being, that's where the danger lies. Since Ganondorf already knows this place is where he lives, you and your friends must come with me for a little while."

"Link isn't dangerous!" she shouted. "Link is coming with us, right? He'll be safe with us!"

Suddenly, Beth felt a hand at her shoulder. She glanced up and saw Link staring down at her sadly. He shook his head. Malo stood next to Beth and said, "Link isn't coming. The bad man is after Link, not us. If Link comes with us, we'll all be in big trouble."

Beth again stuttered for an argument, but she was at a loss for words. Link _couldn't _be dangerous. He was a hero!

"L-Link…" Colin muttered as he was directed to the caravan. He reached out feebly for his idol, before he was within one of the carriages and out of sight. The rest of the children followed suit, sharing the same sad and lost expressions as the boy before them.

"I know this must be difficult for you," Zelda said to Link quietly, "but I appreciate you for calling out to us to save your people. That was a very selfless thing to do."

Link stared intently at Zelda, making a few motions with his hands.

"Yes," she answered. "Ilia is safe as well. It was a struggle to restrain her, but eventually, she complied. That girl has strong emotions for you, Link."

Then, she left him to prepare the few remaining villagers. Link stared for a long time at nothing, contemplating Zelda's words. _Ilia has strong emotions. For me._ He was only shaken from his thoughts by the sound of the carriages pulling away. He stared after them then, too, until they were far out of sight.

Ordon village was empty. The last living souls there were Link, and Epona. The horse sensed his distress, and trotted up to him, nuzzling his back and sighing through her nose. He patted her snout absentmindedly, and folded his arms.

The village seemed much colder when it was empty.

Then, the flash hit him.

Fire.

Destruction.

Death.

The Tetraforce.

Ganon.

It was all within the fraction of a second, and his eyes burned from the hallucination. He stumbled back, crying out, holding his head in his palms. He saw Ilia screaming over the corpse of her father. Zelda lay in her own blood. The children were unconscious, dying. Epona caught him with her head until he could stand on his own, before he mounted her without any warning and spurred her into action.

He ran. He _flew_. He drew the Master Sword, and spurred his mare faster.

Ganondorf was coming.


	10. Taken

"They're just _children!_" Rosalba screamed at him. "You can't do this!"

"Shut up," Ganondorf hissed, motioning for his grunts to gag and tie her. She swatted them away and ran to keep pace with Ganon's trotting form. They were already almost to Hyrule Field, but Rosalba would _kill _herself before she allowed this man to harm _children_. The sky above them was shielded in clouds, dark and grey.

"You're no less of a man than one who smacks his wife should you lay a _finger _on those innocent kids! You claim that you would not harm a woman, but _children!? _What difference do you see? What validates this action!?"

"I told you idiots to _restrain _her!" Ganon barked.

The monsters tried again, but were blasted back by beams of light when she screamed. Ganon felt it, though he did not see it, and whirled back around just in time to see the power fade. At this point, he was not afraid of her powers, as they were only for self defense, not offense. She could not hurt him with it.

"I can't believe I _saved _you!" she sobbed once the light had died and the progression had stopped. "I had it in my mind that perhaps you would come to your senses and see that not everything in life depends on power! Now I see I was a fool to believe in you."

The Gerudo king barked out a harsh laugh. "You _believed _in me? Yes, that _was _foolish, but not my fault. That is all your own, Rosalba, and it is rather unwise to take out your petty anger on me."

"Oh, don't tell me you're not affected by my little outbursts!" she spat. "I see the shock in your eyes. You think I should be calm and quiet by now, but _no! _That's not how Love works! Love isn't just _subdued _with a little restraint and commandeering. The power of Love remains the same no matter what, and can only grow!"

Ganon stomped over to her in the waving grass, scowling and growling loudly.

"I've had enough of this _Love _of yours. The only power here is _mine, _and mine alone! You're _nothing_!"

Suddenly, with startling force, she yanked him down by his beard once again, hitting him aside his head and shrieking at the top of her lungs.

"**You have no idea what you're doing! You have no idea how selfish and self centered you are! You have no idea that there won't **_**be **_**a world left to rule without Love! I HATE YOU!**"

She assaulted him with her small fists until her sobbing was too much, and she collapsed to her knees. Ganondorf only had enough sense left to stare, and feel a sick pounding in his heart. He quickly shoved the feeling down, and resumed his facade of fear and control. The grunts took this opportunity to tie her up.

Ganon had to look away, but once she started panicking again, he called back, "Don't gag her. She's spent her energy. There's no reason to."

She quieted. He dared a glance back, and immediately regretted it.

"Forward," he said. He mounted his horse, believing it had had enough rest, and surged forward with the rest of his soldiers. But, deep in the corners of his mind, he'd wished he'd said something differently. Anything that would have prevented Rosalba from firing off like that. If he could have restrained her tears-

_NO! _he screamed internally. _That's not what matters! Quit thinking that way!_

_You know it's wrong. The Gerudo taught you so._

_D-don't think of the Gerudo. They banished you for your deviant, power hungry ideas._

Her tears were as black as her eyes.

_As black as your own heart, you_-

Ganon snapped the reins on his horse's saddle. He glanced down, shocked. That… That was some of the strongest leather in all of Hyrule. It was near impossible to get. Even _he _had trouble breaking it, and yet just now, he'd snapped the fabric in half without even thinking about it.

Hurriedly, he tied a knot as a temporary fix, then returned his gaze to the plains ahead.

_She said she hates you. She's right to do so._ _You use your power against everything that your own people taught you. You… __**monster**_.

* * *

"Yah!" Link yelled out as he spurred Epona forward, racing to catch up with Princess Zelda's progression towards Hyrule Castle. He had to stop them before Ganondorf could find them. Almost faster than the wind, Epona sped through the forest, until they emerged from the thicket of trees into Hyrule Field.

Just within his vision, far ahead, he could see them, trotting along. The rain had just begun to fall as he pushed Epona to her limit in order to get in front of them and whirl them around, or to Kakariko Village. Anything to steer them all away from Ganon's path.

"L-Link!" Ilia cried out when she saw him ride past. Everyone heard her, and stared with her, watching their village hero ride by faster than they'd ever seen him.

Once he was far enough ahead of the progression, he stopped right in the middle of the path, effectively stopping them all. Princess Zelda poked her head out, frowning.

"Link what is the meaning of this!?" She cried out. "We don't have time to spare."

Link made the most furious and determined face he could muster, and Epona pawed at the ground whinnying earnestly. Zelda exchanged a glance with her driver, confused. But by the time Link was able to explain himself, it was too late. That familiar, raucous laughter grated on their eardrums from the top of the hill to the right of them. Zelda and Link both turned their heads at the same time, and gasped.

Ganondorf, in his full, armored glory, with the sword he'd stolen from the Sages, stood cockily at the crest of the grassy hill. Next to him, bound and gagged, was the one girl that Link had been assigned to protect a month ago. It was obvious that that _monster _had taken all of the fight out of her. She stood with knees bent, and back crooked, her eyes drooping and tired. She didn't even _try _to fight the weak grunts that were holding her. She just rested there. Defeated.

"The relics of power are pulsating," Ganon smirked. "Can't you two feel it as well? Don't deny it, now. I know you feel it too."

The children, who had poked their heads out from the carriage, shrunk back inside, frightened beyond anything they'd ever experienced. "L-Link..?"

"I must admit, though, I'm surprised to see you here too, _boy_," the Gerudo king taunted. "And you have the Master Sword now? Well now, that won't do you much good here."

He yanked Rosalba into his arms, and raised his sword to her throat. She leaned her head back, trying to retreat from the blade, but there was no where to go. She whimpered softly, fresh tears pricking at her eyes.

"You see, _boy_, _Princess, _I have the Tetraforce with me. If you two are as merciful as you seem, you will _both _hand over your relics now, or I will end her life."

"You wouldn't do that!" Zelda accused. "You need her power. You're bluffing. We will not fall for such treachery." Link nodded, agreeing with Zelda.

"Not true," Ganon replied. "I would kill her, if necessary. There is always another soul in the heavens waiting to take over this power, should it be lost. I can always find it again. Granted, it _would _take time- years, even- but I can wait. Even if she dies here, you two are still here. I can capture you both, even without her."

_No, _his mind screamed. _You __**can't **__kill her._

_Sh-shut up_, he told himself. _She doesn't matter. It's her powers that I long for._

"So," he continued, "it is entirely your own decision if this wench should continue to live or not. I will even settle for _one _Triforce relic for now. You have two minutes to decide, no more, no less."

"This isn't something you can just _bargain_, Ganondorf!" Zelda exclaimed. She stuttered, danced for words. "But… I… I'm afraid that…"

Rosalba's eyes widened, frightened.

"I… I'm afraid that if it must be so… we may sacrifice the girl to prevent your claiming of our powers."

Ganon even gasped at this bold, near heartless statement. Overhead, thunder rumbled, seeming to embolden the dark words of the Princess. Zelda wiped away a tear.

"I… I'm sorry, Rosalba," she muttered.

Link couldn't scarcely believe his pointed ears either. Princess Zelda was willing to leave one of her own people to die at the hands of the most evil man on the planet. The Goddesses had _specifically _instructed them to protect this woman at all costs, and Zelda was just _throwing _her life away.

Ganon, at the sound of Zelda's words, trembled slightly as he smirked. "Well, if you insist, Princess." He pressed the tip of the blade hard enough against her neck to draw blood, and Rosalba cried out. Zelda and Link both started towards her, on instinct, but Zelda stopped herself and Link. She bit her lip profusely, and turned away from the sight.

Link continued to glare onwards, fingers playing with the bow at his back.

Ganondorf… he… he couldn't will the sword to go any deeper. Every time he tried, or thought about it, his arm locked up. This… this wasn't sympathy. It was his mind telling him now was the time to _strike_. While they were distracted and distraught. It had _nothing _to do with the sobbing woman in his arms.

"F- _FIRE!_" he screamed. Much, much louder than he'd meant to, but the grunt at his side with the bow and arrow answered the command. He hadn't been told _where _to fire, so he just aimed in the general direction of Link and the Princess, and let it fly.

Time slowed considerably for Ganon and Link, as they watched the glinting tip of the arrowhead almost hover towards its unintended target. Every falling raindrop missed it, so it never deviated from its path.

Even though they knew that's where it was going, it was still a shock to see the weapon pierce Princess Zelda's right shoulder blade, and watch blood spurt forth from the wound. Only when she screamed out in horror and agony, and fell backwards into the wet dirt below, did time resume its normal pace.

While guards rushed to the Princess's aid, Link and several intimidated soldiers cried for blood, and charged towards the Demon King's small army. It seemed none of them had noticed his hesitation from earlier. They must have assumed it was all a part of his plan.

"W-what are you waiting for!?" Ganon yelled to his dumbfounded men. His heart pounded, and ached, and he felt sick. "Attack!"

As the mass of goblins and grunts surged forward, he began to back away, towards his horse, holding Rosalba tightly to his chest to ensure she would not writhe free, even with his shaking arms. Why was he so infirm so suddenly!? He didn't have time to ponder over it. He threw Rosalba on the horse, then mounted himself, and charged back into the fray.

He wasn't a coward. He wasn't going to run from this. But he _had _to protect Rosalba. For her _power_.

With his sword raised high, he yelled at the top of his own lungs, and charged in. He cut down _anything _that got in his path, and that meant _anyone _as well. He just _didn't _care. This needed to be over with quickly. Then an idea struck him: Zelda was unguarded. True, she had those measly guards taking care of her wound, but they were unarmed with _real _weapons. He could charge in, and, with her weakened state, it would be a snitch to take the Triforce of Wisdom. Granted, it would take time, as she would struggle to keep the power, but if he snatched her up and rode away with her, that would give him time to wrestle it from her.

He grinned, changed his steed's course, and darted towards the Princess.

Link, being preoccupied, didn't realize what was happening until her heard her pained and panicked cry over the swell of battle. He turned just in time to watch Ganon dart around the corner, and Zelda's gloved, dirty hand reach out pathetically for something, _anything_, to grab onto to free herself.

It was difficult to command the horse and wrestle with Zelda at the same time, so he untied Rosalba's hands, and placed them on the reins. Then, he leaned in to her ear and hissed, "Try anything and I _will _kill her."

As she was still gagged, there was nothing she could do other than glare at him with intense hatred, before turning forward and spurring the horse onwards. Ganon gulped, then resumed his attentions to the Princess. He grasped her right hand in his, even while she fought him, and focused on draining the energy from her.

"_This _is _mine_!" he growled as he began the transfer.

"N-no..!" Zelda tried to pull her hand away, but with an arrow still in her shoulder, it was painful to make any movement at all. The sound of pursuit behind them jarred her from her efforts to retain her Triforce piece, and with one final mental tug, Ganondorf pried the relic from her, and in a flash of light, it joined his own on his right.

His laughter boomed across the plains of Hyrule Field, before he took control of the reins on his horse. He slowed the creature down enough to drop off the Princess without hurting her, then sped away quickly.

Link leapt off of Epona, heading towards Zelda. She screamed at him, angry and frightened.

"T-the Triforce of Wisdom! He has it! Catch him, Link!"

But Link didn't listen. He knew as well as anyone else that he could get it back someday. Right now, Zelda's health and the safety of the rest of his village were what mattered. He could only stare after Ganondorf as he retreated far into the distance, echoing laughter still heard over the sound of the rain and thunder, and the pounding of his own angry heart.


	11. Bitter

_NOTE: Updates on this story will slow down considerably from this point onwards due to having already posted everything written. I promise I'm working on it right now, and updates will frequent between three to four days, rather than one to two._

_-Zhe-Ubermensch_

* * *

"_YES!_" Ganondorf screamed, sliding off of his horse onto the bridge over Hyrule Lake. He leapt to the edge, holding up his right hand in the dim light of the cloudy sky. The Triforce of Power and Wisdom pulsed in his eyes brightly. Ganon was _thrilled._ He was _ecstatic_, he was _mad _with joy.

"Yes! The Triforce of Wisdom is _mine!_" He whirled around, his cape circling around him, as he laughed to the sky above. Secretly, he never would have imagined that he could have taken the power from either Zelda or the boy, yet today, he'd managed the impossible. It was a _miracle. _A snark voice behind him, however, cut his celebration short.

"It _isn't _yours. You didn't even _work _to get it. You didn't earn it fairly, you didn't _fight_ for it! You may have it now, but essentially, you still _failed, _Ganon!"

"Your opinion on the matter no longer matters, Rosalba. I have what I was seeking."

"You only have _part _of the entire Triforce, and I'm ashamed to say I aided you."

Ganon shut his eyes and gritted his teeth. Rosalba was _not _going to ruin his mood after such a successful victory. Not this time.

"This!? This isn't a _victory! _This is _pathetic! _You didn't earn it, you stole it from a weakened, defenseless woman! That is _nothing _to celebrate! If you'd taken it after a fair fight, perhaps I'd be at _least _impressed, but this is _weak._ _**You're **_weak."

His flying, clenched fist stopped short of her pointed nose by mere centimeters. She did her best not to flinch, swaying backwards only slightly and blinking. Ganon seethed and steamed, teeth gnashing together horribly, as he restrained his lust to kill and beat and mangle.

"I… am… I'm not… I am _not __**weak!**_" he hissed. Then, he pulled away, walked away a few paces, and ran frustrated fingers through his hair, undoing the carefully set up crown and letting his hair flow down his back in random strands.

"You have strength," Rosalba continued, "but you don't use it towards what you should. You only care about yourself and your own selfish wants and needs, and you only direct your powers towards _that_. That is why you are weak."

"If I am strong," he sighed angrily, "then I am not weak. What I use my strength for does not determine weakness. If I have power, then I am _not _weak. Your stupid ideals mean _nothing_."

"They're not ideals, they're _truth_. Ask anyone with half a mind, Ganondorf."

"Hah! Speak for yourself, wench! For a woman so stubborn, you aren't stubborn towards what you should be!"

"Oh, really? I shouldn't be stubborn towards protecting innocent people and fighting for my life!? What should I be stubborn towards, then?! Protecting _you? _From what!? You're the most dangerous thing out there! You're not even worth protecting! You're not worth _anything!"_

The Demon king pointed an angry digit at the black eyed woman. "If I'm not worth anything, why did you stop me from dying of Dragon's Sweat? I'm obviously worth _something _to you, but what? What do you _want _from me!?"

"I want you to be _happy!"_

Startled, confused, Ganon leaned back, blinking. "Happy?"

Rosalba, realizing what she'd said, relaxed, and sighed sadly. "Yes. Happy."

There was silence as each processed what the other had said.

"What..?"

"It's obvious you're not," Rosalba continued, "and I want _everyone _to be happy. It's one of the quirks of the Triforce of Love. You're not happy unless everyone around you is. And I _do _want you to be happy, and healthy, Ganondorf, but not with what _you _have in mind."

His head spun fast. This sudden revelation was almost too much to bear. Rosalba… _wanted _him to be happy. His face only bore shock as he continued to try and process the new information.

"Why?" he whispered. "Why?" It didn't make sense. She _hated _him.

Suddenly infuriated, Rosalba barked, "I told you, you idiot. It's in my nature, I can't help it. Even if you don't deserve it, you need it more than anyone I know."

Offended, Ganon scoffed and turned away.

"I don't need your 'happiness'. I'm quite alright with what I have, if you please."

"I'm not stupid, I know that's a lie. You're _lonely_. You're _unhappy _with what you have!"

"You're lying!" he spat right back.

"If you were happy, you fool, then you wouldn't be seeking the pieces of the Triforce!" she cried out. "You wouldn't be after the one thing that would force the world to bow down to you and follow your every command and whim!"

"It's the _power _I seek, not the world's affections!" the Gerudo king yelled, stomping towards Rosalba. "Their lives mean _nothing _towards my final result!"

"Then _go! _Go now, kill anything and everyone that gets in your way! Go take the final piece of the Triforce so I don't have to suffer with you anymore!"

"Suffer!? _Suffer!?_ I have been nothing but gracious towards you, Rosalba!" Now he circled her like a hungry predator playing with its weakened kill. "I have made certain you are comfortable, fed, clean, and you treat me as though I've retained you like an animal!"

"It's true! I'm a pig ready for slaughter, but you don't have your tools yet! So go! Go, finish it!"

"It's _not that __**simple!**_" Ganondorf yelled at her. She ignored that, and continued her previous statement.

"It's all you care for me as!" she claimed loudly. "I don't mean _anything _to you, do I? After all this time, I'm just a locked treasure chest to you, and as soon as you have the key, you'll take what's inside and just _abandon _me, just like everything else in your life!"

Bewildered, Ganondorf snatched her up by her shoulders and lifted her to be eye level with him. Again, he saw those black tears streaming down her face.

_This is your fault_. _This is __**all **__your fault,_ his mind scolded him.

"This…" he started, and stuttered, then tried again. "This world is all _mine_. They cast me away before I was even _born_. They _owe _it to me! They owe me _everything!_ Hyrule is mine, the fields are mine, the mountains are mine, _you _are _mine!_"

"L-let go of me!" she screamed, pounding at his forearms and writhing madly. "Let _go!_"

"No! Look at me! _Look at me!_"

"Stop!" she squeezed her eyes shut, curled her arms into her body. "STOP!"

She refused to look at him, though he started to shake her. She never opened her eyes. She would _not _give in to him. He didn't _deserve _to have her attention. Gradually, he stopped, and just held her there.

Rosalba cracked open an eye, then both. Ganon was shaking. He swallowed thickly, before muttering, "Rosalba… I…"

She only stared blankly, mouth slightly parted.

"I… I don't _understand _you."

That wasn't what he meant. What he meant was "how can I show you I _love_ you?". He didn't know that yet. But he knew it wasn't what he meant.

Her eyes turned cold again.

"Put. Me. Down."

Ganon was frozen. He couldn't move.

"_Now, _Ganondorf."

His hands released her, and he stepped back as she did, and he stared with dazed and confused eyes as she glared at him in return. He swallowed again. His throat was so unbelievably dry, dryer than he could remember in a long time.

"You will _never _be a true king," Rosalba accused, before turning away and folding her arms.

He couldn't lash out at her. He didn't have the strength or sense left. He wordlessly threw her on his horse, along with himself, and they went to seek shelter as the rain finally unleashed its true nature, drenching the world and its inhabitants in the tears of the sky.

* * *

"I promise I will be fine," the drowsy Princess assured her followers and doctors around her as she lay in her bed. The arrow in her shoulder had been removed promptly and checked for poisons or any other dark magic, and to everyone's relief, they found none. The wound was dressed, the bleeding stopped, and it was certain that the Princess would be fine. But her anger was real, and permeated the air around her in a dark cloud of suspense and uncertainty.

Link himself stayed at her bedside, ensuring that the Demon king hadn't done any permanent damage, all the while silently cursing himself that he hadn't done anything to protect her. It all had just happened so fast, there was hardly anything that he could have done.

Zelda didn't blame him, and neither did anyone else. But his anger remained as well, and added to that of the Princess.

Once it was just him and her, she turned her head to him, speaking softly.

"We cannot let this deed go unpunished," she emphasised. "Something has to be done to reteach the Gerudo king his place, so long as we cannot kill him. Besides, I need him brought back alive if I am to retrieve the Triforce of Wisdom from him."

Link understood. He asked what should be done. Zelda's smile turned dark, and sinister as she thought.

"He tore down my castle once, not long ago. Perhaps… perhaps it is time to return the favor, Link. Perhaps I will 'accidentally' loan my strongest catapults and weapons to you, and a thousand of my men. Perhaps you, in blind rage, will go and lay siege to his shack of a palace and tear it down until nothing is left. Not even a semblance of a wall."

While uncertain, Link agreed that it was an excellent idea. Besides, who was he to question the Princess?

"This," she continued, "should draw him back into Hyrule, where we will capture him. I will take back the Triforce of Wisdom, and he will be executed for his crimes against Hyrule. Again."

Link chuckled at this. Again. Right. But when Zelda tried to sit up, Link forced her to lie back down, concern in his eyes.

"You're right," she admitted. "I should not push myself, should I? Yes… Get some rest, Link. We will make preparations before dawn."

It was his signal to leave. He stood, bowed, and excused himself quietly. Ilia was waiting for him outside, and she perked up once he emerged.

"Link, will Princess Zelda be alright?" she asked.

Link nodded, and Ilia sighed, relieved.

"It would just break my heart for the last living heir to the Hylian throne to pass on," she said. "I could only imagine the struggle for power that would pursue among some of her more shady followers."

They began to walk through the castle halls back to the living quarters the Ordon villagers had been assigned. Ilia took Link's hand in her own, and held on to it tightly.

"I can't believe you're putting yourself in this position again," she muttered angrily. "You've already done enough for these people, Link. You don't have to owe them anymore. It's _you _they should be protecting, not the other way around!"

He stopped her by pulling her in for a hug, as if to say, "_I know. But it's my duty._" She relaxed into his embrace, sighing.

"Link," she said, "stay with me tonight. I can't lose my childhood friend. Please…"

After a moment of contemplation, Link nodded. She guided him to her room, closing the door behind her softly. They both undressed wordlessly, then climbed into her bed together. When asked, Link held her close to him, petting her hair. He was taken by surprise, however, when she pecked him on the lips softly, lovingly. He glanced down at Ilia, and saw the love in her eyes. She didn't have to say it.

He kissed her too.

She fell asleep in the crook of his neck, while he lay awake, lost in thought about Ilia, Zelda, Ganondorf, and everything that the future could hold in store for him.

He was more scared than he had ever been in his whole life.


	12. Sister

_Hey, look, another chapter! Like I said, updates will still be less frequent, but I will always post one as soon as it's done, because I know you guys love this :) Do you think perhaps you all could signal boost this a bit? I want to see if we can pass up views on "My Sinatra" (7,000+) or maybe even "Waltz of the Outcast" (11,000+)._

_That would be _incredible. _Also, this is a much longer chapter than usual._

_If you get tired of waiting for a new chapter, or want another story to pass the time, I recommend my other stories, if you haven't read them._

_-Zhe-Ubermensch_

* * *

Watching her shiver put a terrible, sick pounding to Ganon's heart that he could hardly stand. But there was nothing he could do. She'd refused everything he'd offered to keep her warm, besides the fire he'd set up. Her clothes were soaking from the still pouring rain outside of the cave, and the chill of night didn't help either. He'd offered her a blanket to cover herself with if she would only remove her clothes to get warm, but she refused. Then, he tried offering only the blanket, and she threw it in the fire.

She wouldn't speak to him, or look at him, and it was driving him _mad_. But the Triforce of Wisdom set him from losing his mind entirely, and falling apart. He gazed at it like a child would when seeing a full grown Goron for the first time.

It had a different feeling to it than the Triforce of Power did. Of course, he'd anticipated that, but not to this extent. He knew it would make him feel wiser, but he didn't expect the calm that would come with it. It aided him on focusing his mind elsewhere than the indescribable hurt he was experiencing. Not that his heart was about to break, oh no. It was only that these feelings towards Rosalba were new and foreign to him. When she was angry, so was he. When she was sad and hurt, he felt the phantom pains of her emotions.

She was a witch. A black eyed, cold hearted witch, and she'd cast a spell on him that could only be broken if she just _left him alone_.

But he didn't want that. But, at the same time, he did. It was breaking him in more ways than one and he just had no clue how to stop it. Frustrated, he pulled a rock from the stone wall and crushed it with his bare fist. Then, he glanced up when he felt eyes on him. Rosalba turned away as quickly as she had started staring.

"See something you like?" he mocked, with a tinge of hope in his voice.

"All I see is darkness. It hurts my eyes."

He sneered, and turned his eyes away as well. "Then I'm sorry your vision is so skewed."

"Now's not the time to be arrogant, Ganondorf. That won't get you anywhere with me."

"Don't you think I've noticed that, Rosalba!? I'm only trying to lighten this dark atmosphere you're bringing on us!"

She rolled her eyes, stood, and made her way for the outside. Ganon stood just as quickly and stood in her way. "You aren't leaving this cave," he stated.

"If you want a lighter mood, you'll let me out for some fresh air."

"I said," he repeated, edging towards her menacingly, "You. Aren't. Leaving. This cave. Sit down."

She folded her arms,and didn't budge an inch. "I'm not doing anything you ask of me. I'm not your slave. Leave me alone." Then she tried to edge past him, to which he responded by swinging her over his shoulder and carrying her back into the cave. She grunted and kicked at him, but didn't scream, and gave up rather quickly.

"I can't trust you to do _anything_, woman," he complained as he set her down. "Can't even take care of your own health. Remove your clothing now, before you catch something."

"I refuse!" she exclaimed. Now furious, Ganon snatched her up by her shoulders and yanked down her skirt. Only then did she start screaming and yelling profanities at him. She even kicked him in one of his eyes with her bare foot, but he just ignored it, even if he was beginning to develop a black eye.

"Now now," he growled, "The more you fuss, the longer this will take!"

"Stop! **STOP!**" She began to legitimately cry. Her top was off now, and all she had was her girdle and other undergarments. Then he forced her arms down to her sides, and wrapped her tightly in another blanket, so that she could not escape. Still, Rosalba continued to cry, shaking and and heaving large breaths.

Ganondorf set her off to the side, brow furrowed, and held his chilled hands to the fire before him.

"You're a damn fool," he chided under his breath. "All I do anymore is try to help you, and you push me away."

"My life wasn't under any threat!" she cried. "That wasn't 'helping' me, that was abuse! I didn't _want_ your help, Ganondorf!"

Ganon roared as he turned to her, jamming his fist into the wall next to her head.

"This isn't about you! _**I**_ care if you live or die, _**I**_ care about your health, and I'll be _**damned**_ before I let you meander out into that monsoon outside! You will _sit _here and you will _stop _fighting me! Am I making myself clear, or are you too stubborn to even understand the simple command I have laid out for you now!?"

Rosalba froze, too dumbfounded to speak. When she did regain her senses, he was still waiting for an answer, staring intently into her eyes.

"I… yes. Yes. I understand."

"Good."

He pulled away without another word.

* * *

When he awoke in the middle of the night, he noticed the lack of heat. The fire had gone out. He cursed under his breath, starting to his feet to rekindle the flame. That was when he noticed Rosalba had moved from her spot. The blanket he'd trapped her in was empty.

"Oh, for the love of-!" he started, but stopped when he heard shivering deeper inside the cave. It took a bit for his eyes to search her out in the dark, but he adjusted, and saw her small form in the corner. Rosalba. She _still _refused to keep herself warm, _just _to anger Ganondorf. It was terrible, and lifting all at the same time. She hated him enough to actually go through physical pain to make him angry. She cared enough to disobey him. He wasn't sure how to react to it all. If he wrapped her up, she'd just take it off again, and go lie in the dirt in nothing but her girdle and undergarments. But if he didn't do anything, she'd be cold the whole night.

She _wanted _him to be concerned about her, he realized. She _wanted _Ganon to devote his time and energy into keeping her alive and safe, because it distracted and slowed him down from his ultimate goal in taking her Tetraforce and killing her. _That _was why she was doing all of this! It made perfect sense now. Her emotions- and his- were slowing him down, and he had to ignore them if he was going to get anywhere.

But could it _really _be that simple? No, he reasoned. There's something deeper here. There always is. The Goddesses always have _some _trick up their sleeve to keep the balance between the Light and the Dark.

He stared intently at the sleeping woman across the cave from him. If he could just _figure it out, _these emotions could stop conflicting him, and he could continue as he was. No more distractions. No more fluttery stomachs when she laughed. No more dry throats when she stretched and yawned. No more distractions.

Ganon didn't realized he'd edged closer towards her until he was a hand's distance from brushing her shoulder. Quickly, before he could lose control of himself, he snatched up the blanket and draped it over her lightly, so that he wouldn't wake her. Then, he retreated quickly, heart racing.

"How?" he muttered quietly aloud. "How are you doing this to me? Even in sleep, you cause me physical ailment. I don't understand it."

He realized he'd forgotten to restart the fire, and did so in the hopes that it would distract his mind from his conflicting thoughts and emotions. It didn't. He leaned against the rock wall behind him, exasperated.

A month. It'd only been a month since he'd taken Rosalba hostage, and yet these feelings… they couldn't be… _love_… could they? The symptoms all matched up to what he'd read and heard, but now that he was experiencing it, he wasn't so sure- or, rather didn't _want _to be sure. This woman was his conquest, his _treasure_, and even still, he looked down to her, on occasion, with soft eyes, when she was turned away or not paying attention.

No. She wasn't just treasure. She was _alive_.

Ganon realized his thoughts. He gasped. He was mortified. He was horrified and terrified of _himself_. He was the Gerudo king, this wasn't what he should be thinking! He sprang to his feet and lightly ran from the cave into the cool early morning air. The cave wasn't so cold anymore. It was too hot, and he had to get away, or he'd burn.

He paced. He tried to reason with himself. He tried to excuse these things, brush them off as if they were nothing, but no matter what way he looked at it, he always ended up in the same spot. He was thinking himself in circles, and the starting point was always Rosalba's coal black eyes.

He ran even further from the cave, until he was certain his frustrated yelling and screaming wouldn't wake her. He yelled at the moon, just coming out of the clouds. He cried out at the waving grass, and screamed and shrieked, until his voice was hoarse.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't expel this new feeling of affection. For a _Hylian_, no less.

Hyrule was far less important, in the flash of an arrow. Hyrule fields were baren, and yawning, and empty. The forests were small, and meaningless. The far reaching lakes were dirty and insufficient. It all mean nothing now. But he still craved it. But he knew, deep down, there was a choice to be made.

Rosalba, or Hyrule. Humility, or Pride.

No. Hyrule banished his people. Before he was even born, it was destined that an ancestor of his would pass down his rage. The rage of Demise pulsed through his own blood.

He had no choice. It was the only way to put his mind at peace. Hyrule had to be taken. And he could only do that with all four sections of the Triforce- or Tetraforce. He wasn't sure what to call the relics of power anymore. He wasn't sure if he even _wanted _them anymore. But it was the only way.

Ganon trudged back up to the cave, scratching his beard. Maybe it was time for a shave, he thought.

He sat at the opening, head in his hands, elbows on his knees. Things weren't supposed to be this difficult. It was just get the Triforce, get the Tetraforce, Take over Hyrule, live forever and avenge his ancestors. That was supposed to be it. Being one of the last Gerudo, it was nearly all he had left to live for. Without revenge, what was there? Certainly, not _love. _Love couldn't right the wrongs Hyrule had done.

"Your people," he whispered, "killed _hundreds _of us. _Thousands_. We were shunned for no reason, other than you were so taken with the Goddesses' appraisal of you, that you thought yourselves superior."

He didn't expect a reply.

"I never had anything against the Gerudo," Rosalba said.

He turned around, and saw her standing just behind him, blanket draped around her shoulders. He said nothing in return, only continued to stare. He watched her like a hawk as she took her seat next to him.

"When my parents died, and I was taken by my Uncle to Hyrule kingdom, we found a young Gerudo girl lying at the side of the road. She was bleeding, badly. I had to convince him to take her in, as he had been raised to shun Gerudo just like nearly anyone else. We took her with us back to Hyrule, and got her to a doctor. When she was well enough to speak, she explained that she'd been abandoned by her people because she did not possess the strength required to survive. Her two mothers did not want her anymore."

"A common practice," Ganondorf admitted. "But why she was bleeding is beyond me. We would never harm another of our own race."

"She would not tell us what had happened," Rosalba continued," but I believe it wasn't her mothers."

"And you left her once she was well, I assume."

"She became my sister, Ganon."

That had taken him by surprise. He glanced up and over at her, but her eyes were straight ahead, almost as if she could see the memories she was retelling.

"Of course, we had to keep her out of sight. She stayed in the house most of the time, and so did I, so that she wouldn't be alone. I didn't understand what anyone had against the Gerudo. As far as I was concerned, they were a proud, beautiful race. I admired them for the hardships they suffered through."

Rosalba glanced up at the stars with glinting eyes and a slight smile.

"When it was night, and I had memorized the guards' pattern, she and I would go out of town, to the south entrance, and run and tumble in the grass. That was before the monsters came, of course. We'd share what little secrets we had, and laugh, and hug, like sisters do."

"What happened to her?"

"I…" Rosalba froze, her smile falling. Her head drooped. She picked at the grass beneath her, and turned away.

"I made a mistake. It was an accident I could have prevented if we'd only never gone out in the first place."

"An accident…" he echoed softly.

"Please, keep in mind this had all happened long after the Hyrule Guard had come in and… well. It's no secret among Hylians what our monarch did."

"What happened to her?"

"It was just supposed to be another night. It was the exact same time we always left, it never gave us any problems. But someone- just a regular citizen- bumped into us. She saw Naydana. She screamed."

"Naydana is her name?"

Rosalba gulped.

"... was. _Was _her name." She dared to look him in the eyes. She was tearing up, but not quite crying yet. "A guard came. We ran. He called other guards. We were split up, and by the time I found her again, I was there just in time to… to see… the sword- he…"

She choked back a sob, then sighed once she'd regained her wits.

"They had enough sense to back away when I screamed. I held her in my arms as she died. I kissed her bloodied lips, and I still feel the crust of where it was to this day. I didn't wipe away the blood until she was buried and laid to rest."

Rosalba rested her head on her knees, thinking.

"She wasn't even fifteen yet. She was only barely a woman."

Then, quiet permeated the area. The sad story had its time to sink in, and shake their hearts painfully.

"Why do you tell me this?" Ganon asked.

"I just want you to know that I don't hate the Gerudo like most people do. I just… well, I don't _like _you, but I guess 'hate' is too strong of a word."

"You still use it quite often against me," he pointed out.

"I don't mean it," she admitted. "I don't hate anybody. I just feel bad for you. You've been through so much, Ganon, and you direct your anger in all the wrong places."

"The Hylians are the ones who banished me, Rosalba. There's no other race that has done my people wrong by."

"No, Ganon. Those were our ancestors. We're a different people now."

He stood, shaking with pent up anger and confusion.

"That's not what matters. _Hylians _did this, and the _Hylians _will pay. They _owe _me their kingdom after casting us out and killing off my people. The Gerudo may have cast me out themselves, but that doesn't change the fact that I am a Gerudo. I will have my revenge for what your people did to mine."

"We've _changed_!" she exclaimed. "You don't need to do this! It's only _you _they're afraid of now, but you can change that-"

"They're only afraid of _me _because _I'm _one of the only ones left!" he shouted. "My race is _gone_, Rosalba! I have nothing left! _Nothing!_"

She cringed, and cowered when he stood above her, imposing his force.

"That's… that's not true," she muttered.

"Then what _do _I have?"

She grasped for words, for a reason, anything, but there was nothing she could say aloud. Of any number of things she could say, she came up blank.

"That's… what I thought," he sighed. He stalked back into the cave head erect, trying to hide his misery at having remembered that he was perhaps one of the last of his people.


End file.
